Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1918

Bert

Meaning bright Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #10,866

Shortened version of Bertrand, Albert, Bertram, Robert, Herbert, Gilbert or any name containing the Germanic element bert/berht/beraht/brecht "bright".

Rank 2025
#10,866
among boys · ↓2,471 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
6
named Bert
How common
1 in 284,679
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1918
715 babies
All-time total
34,242
#635 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Bert popularity over time

34,242 babies have been named Bert since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
123418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 26 2,808 2,834 283 – #47
1890s 54 1,667 1,721 172 -39% #89
1900s 110 1,253 1,363 136 -21% #133
1910s 163 4,327 4,490 449 +229% #176
1920s 128 5,765 5,893 589 +31% #207
1930s 75 4,258 4,333 433 -26% #232
1940s 48 3,807 3,855 386 -11% #284
1950s 48 3,748 3,796 380 -2% #349
1960s 5 2,920 2,925 293 -23% #400
1970s – 1,636 1,636 164 -44% #518
1980s – 752 752 75 -54% #809
1990s – 322 322 32 -57% #1,516
2000s – 149 149 15 -54% #3,625
2010s – 122 122 12 -18% #4,985
2020s (to 2025) – 51 51 9 -30% #6,880

The story of Bert

Bert is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #10,866 in 2025 with 6 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 34,242 American babies have been named Bert. Its peak came in 1918, when 715 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Bert stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Bert?

The median living Bert is about 66 years old; half are between 55 and 76. An estimated 11 thousand people named Bert are alive in the United States today.

median 66 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Bert year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 6 #10,866
2024 – – 9 #8,395
2023 – – 8 #9,025
2022 – – 12 #6,880
2021 – – 7 #9,856
2020 – – 9 #8,163
2019 – – 19 #4,985
2018 – – 11 #7,181
2017 – – 10 #7,636
2016 – – 14 #6,083
2015 – – 12 #6,720
2014 – – 17 #5,276
2013 – – 9 #8,190
2012 – – 11 #7,119
2011 – – 10 #7,576
2010 – – 9 #8,223
2009 – – 7 #9,991
2008 – – 13 #6,436
2007 – – 14 #5,946
2006 – – 18 #4,882
2005 – – 13 #5,910
2004 – – 13 #5,848
2003 – – 17 #4,633
2002 – – 10 #6,591
2001 – – 23 #3,625
2000 – – 21 #3,782
1995 – – 30 #2,515
1990 – – 56 #1,516
1985 – – 61 #1,214
1980 – – 118 #809
1975 – – 162 #635
1970 – – 241 #518
1965 – – 260 #481
1960 5 #6,453 391 #400
1955 5 #5,902 405 #359
1950 7 #4,356 339 #368
1945 – – 327 #328
1940 7 #3,536 384 #284
1935 – – 470 #246
1930 9 #3,085 542 #232
1925 14 #2,501 536 #245
1920 16 #2,281 593 #218
1915 22 #1,578 532 #202
1910 11 #1,432 141 #190
1905 8 #1,434 134 #154
1900 11 #1,173 153 #143
1895 7 #1,315 149 #114
1890 – – 180 #97
1885 – – 276 #66
1880 – – 348 #47

Famous people named Bert

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Bert Lahr Bert Lahr American actor (1895–1967) 19th century
  2. 2 Bert Trautmann Bert Trautmann German footballer and coach (1923–2013) Contemporary
  3. 3 Bert Patenaude Bert Patenaude American soccer player (1909–1974) Contemporary
  4. 4 Bert Kaempfert Bert Kaempfert German composer (1923–1980) Contemporary
  5. 5 Bert I. Gordon Bert I. Gordon American filmmaker (1922–2023) Contemporary
  6. 6 Bert Stern American commercial photographer (1929–2013) Contemporary
  7. 7 Bert Williams Bert Williams English footballer (1920–2014) Contemporary
  8. 8 Bert Sakmann Bert Sakmann German Nobel laureate b. 1942 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Bert Koenders Bert Koenders Dutch politician and diplomat b. 1958 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Bert Bolin Bert Bolin Swedish meteorologist (1925–2007) Contemporary
  11. 11 Bert Cameron Jamaican sprinter (born 1959) Contemporary
  12. 12 Bert Grabsch Bert Grabsch German cyclist (born 1975) Contemporary
  13. 13 Bert McCaffrey Bert McCaffrey Canadian ice hockey player (1893–1955) 19th century
  14. 14 Bert Schneider Canadian boxer 1897–1986 · 19th century
  15. 15 Bert Hellinger Writer, Germany 1925–2019 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Bert, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Bert?

The median living Bert is about 66 years old. Half of all living Berts are between 55 and 76 years old.

How many people named Bert are alive today?

An estimated 11 thousand people named Bert are alive in the United States, based on 34,242 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Bert mean?

Shortened version of Bertrand, Albert, Bertram, Robert, Herbert, Gilbert or any name containing the Germanic element bert/berht/beraht/brecht "bright".

How popular is the name Bert in 2025?

Bert ranked #10,866 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 6 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bert?

34,242 babies have been named Bert in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bert most popular?

Bert peaked in 1918, when 715 newborns received the name.

Is Bert a boy or girl name?

Bert is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Bert rising or falling?

Bert is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Bert?

Well-known people named Bert include Bert Lahr (actor), Bert Trautmann (soccer player), Bert Patenaude (soccer player).

Names like Bert

Names that sound and feel close to Bert: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Bert with similar names → More names starting with B →