Sailor
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Sailor
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
Origin & history
The Story of Sailor
As a girl name
American parents first put Sailor on the record books as a girl name in 1998, with 10 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 245 Sailors were born — ranking #1,064 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 46% of all recorded Sailors. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,315 among girl names with 173 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 4K Sailors have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Sailor first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1997, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2022: 50 births, good for #2,648 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 42% of all recorded Sailors. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,804 among boy names with 46 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 737 Sailors have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Sailor
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Sailor. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Sailor
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sailor 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 Sailor
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How popular is Sailor in 2026?
When was Sailor most popular?
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Is Sailor a unisex name?
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About the name Sailor
Sailor is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1998 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Sailor's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #1,054. Use the chart and map above to compare Sailor's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.