Bear
Bear is an English given name and nickname and is derived from the animal of the same name. It has been among the 1,000 most popular names for boys in the United Kingdom since 2015 and the United States since 2018.
Meaning & Origin of Bear
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bear is an English given name and nickname and is derived from the animal of the same name. It has been among the 1,000 most popular names for boys in the United Kingdom since 2015 and the United States since 2018.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Bear
Bear first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1975, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 331 Bears were born — ranking #763 that year. As of 2026, Bear ranks #794 for baby boys with 321 births, rising sharply (+32% over the past five years). In total, more than 4K Bears have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Bear
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Bear Bryant (1913 – 1983), American college football player and coach
- Bear Grylls (born 1974), British adventurer, writer, television presenter and former SAS trooper who is also a survival expert
- Bear McCreary (born 1979), American composer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Bear
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bear 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 Bear
What does the name Bear mean?
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When was Bear most popular?
In which U.S. states is Bear most popular?
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About the name Bear
Bear is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1975 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Bear's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #763. Use the chart and map above to compare Bear's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.