Winter
Winter is a unisex given name of English origin given in reference to the season. In some instances, the given name is a transferred use of the surname.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Winter
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Winter is a unisex given name of English origin given in reference to the season. In some instances, the given name is a transferred use of the surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Winter
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Winter as a girl name dates back to 1954, when 5 babies received it. 2022 was its biggest year on record, with 1,051 newborns named Winter — #305 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Winter on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Winter ranks #389 for girls with 783 births, holding steady (-5%). All told, over 16K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Winter as a boy name dates back to 1974, when 8 babies received it. 2021 was its biggest year on record, with 71 newborns named Winter — #2,058 in the national rankings. About 39% of every Winter on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Winter ranks #2,361 for boys with 61 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Winter
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Winter. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Winter
Phonetically similar names — useful when Winter 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 Winter
What does the name Winter mean?
What is the origin of the name Winter?
How popular is Winter in 2026?
When was Winter most popular?
In which U.S. states is Winter most popular?
Is Winter a unisex name?
What names go well with Winter?
What are nicknames or variants of Winter?
About the name Winter
Winter is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1954 and has accumulated 16K births in the dataset. Winter's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #305. Use the chart and map above to compare Winter's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- 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.