Homer
Homer is both a masculine given name and a surname. The ancient Greek poet Homer and cartoon character Homer Simpson are particularly prominent holders of the name. Other notable Homers include:
- English
- Ancient Greek
Meaning & Origin of Homer
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Homer is both a masculine given name and a surname. The ancient Greek poet Homer and cartoon character Homer Simpson are particularly prominent holders of the name. Other notable Homers include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Ancient Greek
The Story of Homer
The earliest SSA record of Homer as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 205 babies received it. 1920 was its biggest year on record, with 1,722 newborns named Homer — #100 in the national rankings. About 25% of every Homer on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Homer ranks #3,737 for baby boys with 30 births, gradually rising (+13%). All told, over 61K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Homer
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Homer. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Homeros
Names that sound like Homer
Phonetically similar names — useful when Homer is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Hammer
- Hummer
- Honer
- Hamer
- Heimer
- Hammar
- Hemmer
- Hamr
- Hymer
- Hamor
- Hamre
- Haymer
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Homer
What does the name Homer mean?
What is the origin of the name Homer?
How popular is Homer in 2026?
When was Homer most popular?
In which U.S. states is Homer most popular?
Is Homer a unisex name?
What names go well with Homer?
What are nicknames or variants of Homer?
About the name Homer
Homer is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 61K births in the dataset. Homer's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #64. Use the chart and map above to compare Homer's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- 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.