Boy · #12,551 in 2026

Pastor

A pastor is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, pastors are always ordained. In Methodism, pastors may be either licensed or ordained.

Current Rank
#12,551
Peak Rank
#4,509 (1981)
Total Babies
146
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1929
First Year
2008
Last Year
1981
Peak Year
#4509
Peak Rank
146
Total Count
25
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Pastor

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

A pastor is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, pastors are always ordained. In Methodism, pastors may be either licensed or ordained.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
The word pastor derives from the Latin noun pastor which means " shepherd " and is derived from the verb pascere – "to lead to pasture, set to grazing, cause to eat". The term "pastor" also relates to the role of elders within the New Testament , and is synonymous with the biblical understanding of the word " minister ". Amongst contemporary Protestant Christians, terms pastor, shepherd, and elder are all the same position. Present-day usage of the word is rooted in the biblical metaphor of shepherding. The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) uses the Hebrew word רעה ( roʿeh ), which is used as a

The Story of Pastor

Pastor first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1929, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1981, when 8 Pastors were born — ranking #4,509 that year. As of 2026, Pastor ranks #12,551 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 146 Pastors have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Pastor

Phonetically similar names — useful when Pastor is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Paster
  • Poster
  • Pester
  • Pistor
  • Postre
  • Baster
  • Bastar
  • Past
  • Passed
  • Pasture
  • Plaster
  • Patter

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pastor

What does the name Pastor mean?
A pastor is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, pastors are always ordained. In Methodism, pastors may be either licensed or ordained.
How popular is Pastor in 2026?
In 2026, Pastor ranks #12,551 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Pastor most popular?
Pastor reached its peak popularity in 1981, ranking #4,509 that year with 8 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Pastor most popular?
Pastor has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Pastor.
Is Pastor a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Pastor is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Pastor?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Pastor include Maro, Alvarez, Damascus. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Maro
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Alvarez
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👦
Damascus
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👦
Antwyne
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👦
Rafiel
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👦
Lambros
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Adom
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Jermelle
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About the name Pastor

Pastor is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1929 and has accumulated 146 births in the dataset. Pastor's peak popularity came in 1981 when it ranked #4,509. Use the chart and map above to compare Pastor's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.