NameChart

Spencer

Boy name

Spencer has been given to 129,638 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1998 and currently ranks #360 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈspɛnsə/

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.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

01.155k2.31k3.464k4.619k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

129,638

Peak year

1998 (4,780 babies)

Rank in 2025

#360 for boys

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -31%

Gender split

4% girls / 96% boys

Famous people named Spencer

Spencer Tracy

American actor (1900–1967)

Spencer Perceval

19th-century prime minister of the United Kingdom (1762–1812)

Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington

Prime Minister of Great Britain

Spencer Fullerton Baird

American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, museum curator, and the 2nd Secretary of the Smithsonian (1823-1887)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Spencer.

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