Boy nameCurrently #388 in the USFalling
Spencer
SPEN-ser//ˈspɛnsər//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19987 lettersStarts with S
Meaning & origin
Dispenser of provisions, steward
Spencer comes from the medieval English occupational surname for a steward who dispensed provisions in a great household. Its polished sound is also tied to the British aristocratic Spencer family, including Princess Diana's line.
Spencer's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Spencer |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 35 |
| 1881 | 26 |
| 1882 | 33 |
| 1883 | 28 |
| 1884 | 32 |
| 1885 | 23 |
| 1886 | 29 |
| 1887 | 41 |
| 1888 | 38 |
| 1889 | 28 |
| 1890 | 30 |
| 1891 | 33 |
| 1892 | 33 |
| 1893 | 21 |
| 1894 | 27 |
| 1895 | 35 |
| 1896 | 28 |
| 1897 | 23 |
| 1898 | 40 |
| 1899 | 39 |
| 1900 | 44 |
| 1901 | 30 |
| 1902 | 32 |
| 1903 | 28 |
| 1904 | 44 |
| 1905 | 38 |
| 1906 | 29 |
| 1907 | 41 |
| 1908 | 61 |
| 1909 | 49 |
| 1910 | 54 |
| 1911 | 70 |
| 1912 | 105 |
| 1913 | 124 |
| 1914 | 124 |
| 1915 | 153 |
| 1916 | 169 |
| 1917 | 204 |
| 1918 | 210 |
| 1919 | 160 |
| 1920 | 229 |
| 1921 | 195 |
| 1922 | 203 |
| 1923 | 199 |
| 1924 | 188 |
| 1925 | 177 |
| 1926 | 176 |
| 1927 | 180 |
| 1928 | 168 |
| 1929 | 157 |
| 1930 | 153 |
| 1931 | 147 |
| 1932 | 151 |
| 1933 | 155 |
| 1934 | 185 |
| 1935 | 163 |
| 1936 | 193 |
| 1937 | 180 |
| 1938 | 206 |
| 1939 | 259 |
| 1940 | 261 |
| 1941 | 291 |
| 1942 | 313 |
| 1943 | 351 |
| 1944 | 282 |
| 1945 | 266 |
| 1946 | 303 |
| 1947 | 337 |
| 1948 | 314 |
| 1949 | 319 |
| 1950 | 327 |
| 1951 | 395 |
| 1952 | 340 |
| 1953 | 295 |
| 1954 | 291 |
| 1955 | 325 |
| 1956 | 314 |
| 1957 | 275 |
| 1958 | 284 |
| 1959 | 319 |
| 1960 | 362 |
| 1961 | 398 |
| 1962 | 380 |
| 1963 | 415 |
| 1964 | 425 |
| 1965 | 456 |
| 1966 | 366 |
| 1967 | 375 |
| 1968 | 547 |
| 1969 | 709 |
| 1970 | 725 |
| 1971 | 622 |
| 1972 | 621 |
| 1973 | 598 |
| 1974 | 571 |
| 1975 | 702 |
| 1976 | 777 |
| 1977 | 731 |
| 1978 | 751 |
| 1979 | 860 |
| 1980 | 738 |
| 1981 | 838 |
| 1982 | 945 |
| 1983 | 963 |
| 1984 | 945 |
| 1985 | 1,130 |
| 1986 | 1,672 |
| 1987 | 2,305 |
| 1988 | 2,763 |
| 1989 | 3,229 |
| 1990 | 3,557 |
| 1991 | 3,695 |
| 1992 | 3,827 |
| 1993 | 4,027 |
| 1994 | 3,952 |
| 1995 | 3,741 |
| 1996 | 3,723 |
| 1997 | 3,881 |
| 1998 | 4,780 |
| 1999 | 4,309 |
| 2000 | 4,143 |
| 2001 | 3,816 |
| 2002 | 3,538 |
| 2003 | 2,962 |
| 2004 | 2,733 |
| 2005 | 2,356 |
| 2006 | 2,229 |
| 2007 | 2,411 |
| 2008 | 2,144 |
| 2009 | 1,734 |
| 2010 | 1,612 |
| 2011 | 1,685 |
| 2012 | 1,681 |
| 2013 | 1,638 |
| 2014 | 1,723 |
| 2015 | 1,672 |
| 2016 | 1,616 |
| 2017 | 1,477 |
| 2018 | 1,361 |
| 2019 | 1,280 |
| 2020 | 1,284 |
| 2021 | 1,290 |
| 2022 | 1,218 |
| 2023 | 1,147 |
| 2024 | 1,056 |
Spencer through the decades
- Spencer peaked in 1998, when 4,780 babies were named Spencer in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Spencer has fallen 30% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Spencer currently ranks #388 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Spence
Variants & spellings
Spencer