Fern
Fern is an English topographic name from the Old English fearn. It refers to someone who lives among ferns. The name is used as a given name and a surname. The name is in use primarily in English-speaking countries. It has been in use since the 1800s and has also occasionally been in use for boys, though it is primarily a feminine name.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Fern
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Fern is an English topographic name from the Old English fearn. It refers to someone who lives among ferns. The name is used as a given name and a surname. The name is in use primarily in English-speaking countries. It has been in use since the 1800s and has also occasionally been in use for boys, though it is primarily a feminine name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Fern
American parents first put Fern on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 10 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 1,341 Ferns were born — ranking #164 that year. About 27% of every Fern on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Fern ranks #1,236 for baby girls with 187 births, rising sharply (+43% over the past five years). All told, over 38K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Fern
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Fern. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Fern
Phonetically similar names — useful when Fern is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Furn
- Firn
- Fearn
- Ferne
- Frn
- From
- Firm
- Ferm
- Frm
- Firme
- Ferme
- Fry
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fern
What does the name Fern mean?
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In which U.S. states is Fern most popular?
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About the name Fern
Fern is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 38K births in the dataset. Fern's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #152. Use the chart and map above to compare Fern's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all girl 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.