Fun Facts About the Name Archer
- Gaining ground: Archer entered the U.S. top 100 in 2025, gaining 17 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 31 thousand babies named Archer: U.S. records list 31,789 babies given the name Archer from 1880 through 2025. Even 412 girls received the name Archer - about 1 girl for every 76 boys.
What Does the Name Archer Mean?
Archer is an English occupational name meaning "bowman" - a person who shoots with a bow and arrow. It comes from Middle English archer, borrowed from Old French archier, which descends from Late Latin arcarius ("bowman"), itself from Latin arcus ("bow"). The name records a job rather than describing a personal quality. In medieval usage an archer was a soldier armed with a bow, which distinguished him from a bowyer, the craftsman who made bows.
Archer Name History & Origins
The word entered English from Anglo-Norman French in the centuries after the Norman Conquest, and "archer" became the ordinary term for a bow-armed soldier. Bowmen were a standard part of medieval English armies, so the occupation was common enough to be used as a byname - a second name attached to a man because of his work.
Like other English occupational surnames, Archer became hereditary in the later Middle Ages, when a father's trade name was passed down to his children whether or not they followed the same work. It is found as a surname in England and was also carried into Ireland and Scotland by settlers, where it appears alongside unrelated Gaelic names.
Archer as a first name is a later use of the surname, part of the long English habit of turning family names into given names. Its use as a personal name is therefore distinct from the medieval occupational origin of the word.
How Popular is the Name Archer?
Archer recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Archer entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,890 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2024 | #5,154 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #4,665 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2022 | #4,482 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 2021 | #4,104 | 35 | 0.0021% |
| 2020 | #4,088 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2019 | #4,447 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2018 | #5,169 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2017 | #4,487 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2016 | #4,354 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2015 | #6,047 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2014 | #6,743 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #5,843 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #9,165 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #8,245 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #15,161 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #9,445 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #15,612 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #98 | 3,627 | 0.2123% |
| 2024 | #115 | 3,093 | 0.1803% |
| 2023 | #129 | 2,833 | 0.1658% |
| 2022 | #126 | 2,921 | 0.1675% |
| 2021 | #139 | 2,731 | 0.1562% |
| 2020 | #160 | 2,349 | 0.1362% |
| 2019 | #206 | 1,884 | 0.1051% |
| 2018 | #239 | 1,594 | 0.0878% |
| 2017 | #254 | 1,462 | 0.0790% |
| 2016 | #263 | 1,385 | 0.0730% |
| 2015 | #289 | 1,275 | 0.0665% |
| 2014 | #301 | 1,182 | 0.0615% |
| 2013 | #352 | 899 | 0.0475% |
| 2012 | #406 | 721 | 0.0380% |
| 2011 | #446 | 607 | 0.0320% |
| 2010 | #551 | 458 | 0.0239% |
| 2009 | #683 | 355 | 0.0179% |
| 2008 | #1,037 | 183 | 0.0090% |
| 2007 | #1,129 | 159 | 0.0077% |
| 2006 | #1,467 | 104 | 0.0051% |
| 2005 | #1,411 | 104 | 0.0052% |
| 2004 | #1,446 | 96 | 0.0048% |
| 2003 | #1,888 | 62 | 0.0031% |
| 2002 | #1,833 | 62 | 0.0032% |
| 2001 | #2,389 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2000 | #3,000 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1999 | #2,352 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 1998 | #4,212 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #4,680 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #4,410 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #5,143 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #6,415 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #6,259 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #7,478 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #6,558 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #7,230 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #7,000 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #6,474 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #6,432 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,111 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,513 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,266 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #5,148 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #3,637 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #3,156 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #2,900 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #3,325 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #2,478 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1966 | #2,996 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #3,951 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #2,550 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1963 | #2,543 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #2,370 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1961 | #2,714 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #3,357 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #2,420 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1958 | #2,827 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #2,641 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #2,634 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #2,148 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1954 | #2,212 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #2,399 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1952 | #2,379 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #1,909 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1950 | #1,941 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1949 | #2,462 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1948 | #2,447 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1947 | #1,788 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1946 | #2,152 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1945 | #1,584 | 18 | 0.0013% |
| 1944 | #1,991 | 13 | 0.0010% |
| 1943 | #1,910 | 15 | 0.0011% |
| 1942 | #2,045 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1941 | #1,825 | 15 | 0.0012% |
| 1940 | #2,331 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1939 | #2,291 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1938 | #2,661 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1937 | #1,631 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1936 | #1,965 | 13 | 0.0013% |
| 1935 | #2,130 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1934 | #1,863 | 15 | 0.0015% |
| 1933 | #2,551 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1932 | #2,002 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1931 | #2,875 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #2,085 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1929 | #2,101 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1928 | #1,962 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1927 | #2,042 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1926 | #1,471 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1925 | #1,875 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1924 | #1,533 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1923 | #1,504 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1922 | #1,890 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1921 | #1,159 | 38 | 0.0035% |
| 1920 | #1,459 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1919 | #1,123 | 38 | 0.0039% |
| 1918 | #1,173 | 35 | 0.0035% |
| 1917 | #1,444 | 24 | 0.0026% |
| 1916 | #1,417 | 24 | 0.0027% |
| 1915 | #1,343 | 25 | 0.0029% |
| 1914 | #1,782 | 13 | 0.0020% |
| 1913 | #1,953 | 9 | 0.0018% |
| 1912 | #1,358 | 13 | 0.0030% |
| 1911 | #1,753 | 5 | 0.0022% |
| 1910 | #1,431 | 6 | 0.0031% |
| 1909 | #1,158 | 7 | 0.0043% |
| 1907 | #1,098 | 7 | 0.0048% |
| 1906 | #1,117 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1902 | #1,148 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1894 | #1,086 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1893 | #1,042 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1889 | #980 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1888 | #651 | 10 | 0.0083% |
| 1887 | #632 | 9 | 0.0089% |
| 1885 | #944 | 5 | 0.0046% |
| 1884 | #772 | 7 | 0.0061% |
| 1882 | #700 | 8 | 0.0070% |
| 1881 | #655 | 8 | 0.0079% |
| 1880 | #642 | 9 | 0.0081% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Archer
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How the Name Archer Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Archer's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Archer's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.