Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as 700 BC and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome.
Meaning & Origin of Lancer
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as 700 BC and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Lancer
Lancer first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1916, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 31 Lancers were born — ranking #1,524 that year. As of 2026, Lancer ranks #12,142 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 201 Lancers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Lancer
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lancer is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Lanser
- Lanzar
- Lance
- Lancers
- Lanr
- Lasser
- Lanse
- Lanner
- Lansa
- Lanyer
- Landseer
- Lanseh
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lancer
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About the name Lancer
Lancer is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 201 births in the dataset. Lancer's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #1,524. Use the chart and map above to compare Lancer's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- 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.