Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
Meaning & Origin of Custer
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Custer
Custer first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1904, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1917, when 15 Custers were born — ranking #1,986 that year. As of 2026, Custer ranks #3,681 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 124 Custers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Custer
Phonetically similar names — useful when Custer 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 Custer
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About the name Custer
Custer is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1904 and has accumulated 124 births in the dataset. Custer's peak popularity came in 1917 when it ranked #1,986. Use the chart and map above to compare Custer's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1917 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- 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.