Spenser
The Story of Spenser
As a girl name
Spenser first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1987, with 17 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1992: 36 births, good for #3,144 nationwide. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 62% of all recorded Spensers. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2022 (8 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 372 Spensers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Spenser as a boy name dates back to 1968, when 6 babies received it. 1988 was its biggest year on record, with 333 newborns named Spenser — #501 in the national rankings. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 47% of all recorded Spensers. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (8 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 3K Spensers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Spenser
Phonetically similar names — useful when Spenser 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 Spenser
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About the name Spenser
Spenser is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1968 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Spenser's peak popularity came in 1988 when it ranked #501. Use the chart and map above to compare Spenser's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1988 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy 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.