Unisex · #389 in 2026

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.

Current Rank
#389
Peak Rank
#305 (2022)
Total Babies
16K
5-Yr Trend
-5%
👧 Girl peak #305 (16K total)
👦 Boy peak #2,058 (1K total)
👧As Girl Name
1954
First Year
2026
Last Year
2022
Peak Year
#305
Peak Rank
16K
Total Count
62
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1974
First Year
2026
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#2058
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
46
Years Active

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 →

The Story of Winter

As a girl name

Winter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1954, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 1,051 Winters were born — ranking #305 that year. As of 2026, Winter ranks #389 for girls with 783 births, holding steady (-5%). In total, more than 16K Winters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Winter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1974, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 71 Winters were born — ranking #2,058 that year. As of 2026, Winter ranks #2,361 for boys with 61 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Winters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

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 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?
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.
How popular is Winter in 2026?
In 2026, Winter ranks #389 among girls' names in the U.S., with 783 babies given the name that year.
When was Winter most popular?
Winter reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #305 that year with 1,051 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Winter most popular?
Winter has historically been most popular in Alaska, Wyoming, Maine. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Winter.
Is Winter a unisex name?
Yes — Winter is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 94% of Winters assigned female and 6% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Winter?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Winter include Earnestine, Dewey, Manila. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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

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.