Boy · #10,599 in 2026

Bayard

Bayard is a masculine given name. Bearers of the name include:

  • Carolingian Cycle
Current Rank
#10,599
Peak Rank
#1,231 (1918)
Total Babies
922
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1882
First Year
2020
Last Year
1918
Peak Year
#1231
Peak Rank
922
Total Count
80
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bayard

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Bayard is a masculine given name. Bearers of the name include:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Carolingian Cycle

The Story of Bayard

Bayard first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 32 Bayards were born — ranking #1,231 that year. As of 2026, Bayard ranks #10,599 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 922 Bayards have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Bayard

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Bayard Clarke (1815–1884), United States Representative from New York
  • Bayard Elfvin (born 1981), American assistant Northwestern University soccer coach and retired goalkeeper
  • Bayard H. Faulkner (1894–1983), American politician from New Jersey, mayor of Montclair, New Jersey
  • Bayard Johnson (1952–2016), American film director
  • Bayard H. Paine (1872–1955), justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court
  • Bayard Rustin (1912–1987), American civil rights activist, mentor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Bayard Schieffelin (1903–1989), an American philanthropist and director of the New York Public Library
  • Herbert Bayard Swope (1882–1958), American editor and journalist

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Bayard

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bayard is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bayard

What does the name Bayard mean?
Bayard is a masculine given name. Bearers of the name include:
What is the origin of the name Bayard?
Bayard has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Carolingian Cycle.
How popular is Bayard in 2026?
In 2026, Bayard ranks #10,599 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Bayard most popular?
Bayard reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #1,231 that year with 32 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Bayard most popular?
Bayard has historically been most popular in Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bayard.
Is Bayard a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Bayard is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Bayard?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bayard include Holly, Elgie, Earnie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Bayard

Bayard is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 922 births in the dataset. Bayard's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #1,231. Use the chart and map above to compare Bayard's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.