Fun Facts About the Name Bahr
- 22 babies named Bahr: U.S. records list 22 babies given the name Bahr from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Bahr Mean?
Bahr has two independent origins that happen to look alike in the Latin alphabet. In Arabic, baḥr (بحر) means "sea" or "large body of water," and Bahr is used as a masculine given name in Arabic-speaking countries, alongside the related form Bahri. The Germanic name is a surname, usually spelled Bahr or Bähr, generally traced to Middle High German bër "bear," which was used as a nickname before it became hereditary; a smaller number of families may instead have taken the name from a place called Baar or Bahr. The Arabic and Germanic names share no origin - their resemblance is only in transliteration.
Bahr Name History & Origins
Arabic baḥr is an old and common word for the sea, appearing in everyday speech, in classical poetry, and in geographic names such as Bahr al-Ghazal and Bahr al-Arab. As a personal name, Bahr belongs to the same group as Bahri and Bahriya, and it is given to boys in parts of the Arabic-speaking world. Because it is a plain vocabulary word as well as a name, it has never been confined to one region or family.
The German surname Bahr, often written Bähr, belongs to the large class of medieval nicknames and bynames that became fixed family names in the late Middle Ages. Names taken from animals were common in German-speaking lands, and bër "bear" (modern German Bär) was a typical source, suggesting size or strength rather than describing an actual bear. Other Bahr families may descend from a place name, since Baar and similar spellings occur as settlement names in Germany and Switzerland. In the United States, Bahr is found chiefly as a surname; its use as a given name is uncommon and does not follow a single tradition.
How Popular is the Name Bahr?
Bahr has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #9,866 in 2023.
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 | #12,269 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #12,515 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #9,866 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #12,571 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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.
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How the Name Bahr Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Bahr's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bahr's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.