boys' name ★ peaked 1998

Spencer

Meaning spencer Gender Boy · 4% girls Rank 2025 #360 Trend ↓ Falling 14%

An occupational surname from Middle English Spenser, Spencer, Spensier, from the common noun spenser (“spencer”), denoting someone who works in a spense (“spence”), or…

Rank 2025
#360
among boys · ↑24 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
1,153
named Spencer · +9% vs 2024
How common
1 in 1,881
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1998
4,780 babies
All-time total
129,638
#271 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Spencer popularity over time

129,638 babies have been named Spencer 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
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 313 313 31 – #249
1890s – 309 309 31 -1% #280
1900s – 396 396 40 +28% #277
1910s – 1,373 1,373 137 +247% #327
1920s 6 1,866 1,872 187 +36% #393
1930s 6 1,786 1,792 179 -4% #346
1940s – 3,036 3,036 304 +69% #327
1950s 11 3,154 3,165 317 +4% #344
1960s 17 4,416 4,433 443 +40% #280
1970s 59 6,897 6,956 696 +57% #251
1980s 345 15,183 15,528 1,553 +123% #107
1990s 1,309 38,182 39,491 3,949 +154% #84
2000s 614 27,452 28,066 2,807 -29% #98
2010s 1,924 13,826 15,750 1,575 -44% #226
2020s (to 2025) 1,416 5,742 7,158 1,193 -24% #315

Where Spencer is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 887 0.52 #365
2027 869 0.51 #368
2028 855 0.50 #372
2029 843 0.49 #375
2030 832 0.49 #381

Where Spencer is most popular

Boys named Spencer per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.544 per 1,000. Strongest in Wyoming, Alaska, and Maine.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Spencer born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Wyoming 10 1.73 +218%
Alaska 19 1.60 +193%
Maine 30 1.55 +184%
New Hampshire 32 1.44 +165%
West Virginia 45 1.38 +153%
Iowa 82 1.19 +119%
Missouri 152 1.10 +102%
Kentucky 107 1.07 +96%
Arkansas 67 1.06 +95%
Alabama 102 0.933 +72%
Utah 87 0.911 +68%
Indiana 143 0.892 +64%
Idaho 36 0.880 +62%
Nebraska 38 0.874 +61%
Michigan 177 0.864 +59%
Connecticut 58 0.857 +58%
Ohio 226 0.853 +57%
Wisconsin 101 0.853 +57%
Pennsylvania 224 0.844 +55%
Oklahoma 72 0.814 +50%
Montana 14 0.794 +46%
Oregon 58 0.764 +41%
Minnesota 93 0.758 +39%
Kansas 52 0.758 +39%
South Dakota 14 0.752 +38%
Colorado 92 0.713 +31%
Massachusetts 98 0.713 +31%
Tennessee 128 0.709 +30%
New York 306 0.707 +30%
Louisiana 70 0.684 +26%
South Carolina 70 0.677 +25%
Rhode Island 11 0.675 +24%
Virginia 128 0.675 +24%
Delaware 10 0.660 +21%
Mississippi 37 0.651 +20%
Washington 106 0.648 +19%
North Carolina 162 0.634 +17%
Illinois 162 0.634 +17%
North Dakota 10 0.586 +8%
Maryland 64 0.537 ≈ national
Georgia 123 0.486 -11%
New Jersey 92 0.457 -16%
Arizona 72 0.440 -19%
Florida 205 0.433 -20%
Texas 296 0.336 -38%
Hawaii 5 0.322 -41%
California 285 0.312 -43%
Nevada 16 0.281 -48%
District of Columbia – – –
New Mexico – – –
Vermont – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Spencer

Spencer is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #360 in 2025 with 908 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 129,638 American babies have been named Spencer. Its peak came in 1998, when 4,780 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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 Spencer stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Spencer?

The median living Spencer is about 27 years old; half are between 19 and 35. An estimated 118 thousand people named Spencer are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

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

Spencer 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 245 #1,025 908 #360
2024 217 #1,119 845 #384
2023 245 #1,036 903 #362
2022 230 #1,088 990 #338
2021 241 #1,050 1,050 #315
2020 238 #1,053 1,046 #317
2019 242 #1,058 1,038 #321
2018 247 #1,043 1,117 #307
2017 267 #981 1,212 #292
2016 245 #1,067 1,371 #267
2015 239 #1,091 1,433 #252
2014 203 #1,204 1,520 #248
2013 179 #1,316 1,459 #248
2012 145 #1,529 1,536 #234
2011 100 #1,981 1,585 #226
2010 57 #3,007 1,555 #227
2009 38 #4,095 1,696 #217
2008 52 #3,260 2,092 #191
2007 46 #3,592 2,365 #173
2006 43 #3,665 2,186 #184
2005 39 #3,803 2,317 #177
2004 69 #2,478 2,664 #151
2003 54 #2,877 2,908 #139
2002 90 #1,965 3,448 #110
2001 84 #2,031 3,732 #103
2000 99 #1,774 4,044 #98
1995 123 #1,345 3,618 #104
1990 137 #1,227 3,419 #105
1985 16 #4,827 1,114 #216
1980 17 #4,488 721 #287
1975 6 #8,895 696 #276
1970 8 #6,286 717 #291
1965 – – 456 #358
1960 5 #7,173 358 #422
1955 – – 325 #406
1950 5 #6,003 322 #378
1945 – – 266 #365
1940 – – 262 #351
1935 – – 163 #447
1930 – – 153 #483
1925 – – 177 #454
1920 – – 229 #393
1915 – – 153 #440
1910 – – 54 #344
1905 – – 38 #328
1900 – – 44 #324
1895 – – 35 #307
1890 – – 30 #321
1885 – – 23 #376
1880 – – 35 #282

Famous people named Spencer

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

  1. 1 Spencer Tracy Spencer Tracy American actor (1900–1967) Contemporary
  2. 2 Spencer Haywood Spencer Haywood American basketball player (born 1949) Contemporary
  3. 3 Spencer Treat Clark Spencer Treat Clark American actor (born 1987) Contemporary
  4. 4 Spencer Grammer Spencer Grammer American actress (born 1983) Contemporary
  5. 5 Spencer Breslin Spencer Breslin American actor (born 1992) Contemporary
  6. 6 Spencer Locke Spencer Locke American actress (born 1991) Contemporary
  7. 7 Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1809 to 1812 1762–1812 · 18th century
  8. 8 Spencer Dinwiddie Spencer Dinwiddie American basketball player (born 1993) Contemporary
  9. 9 Spencer Smith Spencer Smith American musician and talent agent b. 1987 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Spencer Dryden Spencer Dryden American drummer (1938–2005) Contemporary
  11. 11 Spencer Boldman Spencer Boldman American actor (born 1992) Contemporary
  12. 12 Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1742 to 1743 1673–1743 · 17th century
  13. 13 Spencer Abraham Spencer Abraham American politician (born 1952) Contemporary
  14. 14 Spencer Hawes Spencer Hawes American basketball player (born 1988) Contemporary
  15. 15 Spencer Tunick Spencer Tunick American photographer b. 1967 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Spencer Gore Spencer Gore British tennis player 1850–1906 · 19th century
  17. 17 Spencer Johnson American writer 1938–2017 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Spencer Bachus Spencer Bachus American politician (born 1947) Contemporary
  19. 19 Spencer Fullerton Baird Spencer Fullerton Baird American scientist (1823 – 1887) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Spencer?

The median living Spencer is about 27 years old. Half of all living Spencers are between 19 and 35 years old.

How many people named Spencer are alive today?

An estimated 118 thousand people named Spencer are alive in the United States, based on 129,638 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Spencer mean?

An occupational surname from Middle English Spenser, Spencer, Spensier, from the common noun spenser (“spencer”), denoting someone who works in a spense (“spence”), or as a butler or steward.

How popular is the name Spencer in 2025?

Spencer ranked #360 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 908 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Spencer?

129,638 babies have been named Spencer in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Spencer most popular?

Spencer peaked in 1998, when 4,780 newborns received the name.

Is Spencer a boy or girl name?

Spencer is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 96% of babies with the name.

Is the name Spencer rising or falling?

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

Will Spencer become more popular?

Spencer is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 832 boys named Spencer in 2030, which would rank around #381. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Spencer?

Well-known people named Spencer include Spencer Tracy (actor), Spencer Haywood (politician), Spencer Treat Clark (actor).

Names like Spencer

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

Compare Spencer with similar names → More names starting with S →