Fun Facts About the Name Sailor
- More than 4 thousand babies named Sailor: U.S. records list 4,288 babies given the name Sailor from 1880 through 2025. Even 686 boys received the name Sailor - about 1 boy for every 5 girls.
What Does the Name Sailor Mean?
Sailor is an English word name. It means 'one who sails' or 'mariner,' the same as the common noun sailor. The noun is an agent form of the English verb sail; it was originally spelled sailer, with the common agent ending -er, and the modern -or spelling developed later. Sail goes back to Old English segl (noun) and seglian (verb), and is related to Old Norse segl and German Segel. As a personal name, Sailor is not a translated form of a separate ancient name; it is the English occupational word used directly as a name.
Sailor Name History & Origins
The word sailor developed in English from sail, and Middle English had forms such as sailer. It names a person who works on a ship or travels by sail, and it belongs to the same broad group of English agent nouns as maker and worker. The modern spelling sailor became the usual form, while sailer also remained in some uses.
Unlike William or Elizabeth, Sailor has no continuous history as a personal name from the Middle Ages and no saint, biblical, or royal association. It is a modern English word name. The given name may come directly from the noun, or it may be transferred from the English surname Sailor, which is an occupational surname meaning a sailor. In recent decades it has been used as a given name in English-speaking countries, more often for girls than for boys.
How Popular is the Name Sailor?
Sailor 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 2016. Its best rank was #1,056 in 2017.
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 | #1,134 | 206 | 0.0128% |
| 2024 | #1,341 | 170 | 0.0105% |
| 2023 | #1,077 | 230 | 0.0144% |
| 2022 | #1,301 | 182 | 0.0111% |
| 2021 | #1,157 | 212 | 0.0129% |
| 2020 | #1,087 | 225 | 0.0139% |
| 2019 | #1,156 | 208 | 0.0124% |
| 2018 | #1,418 | 158 | 0.0093% |
| 2017 | #1,056 | 243 | 0.0141% |
| 2016 | #1,066 | 245 | 0.0138% |
| 2015 | #1,094 | 237 | 0.0133% |
| 2014 | #1,224 | 200 | 0.0112% |
| 2013 | #1,595 | 135 | 0.0077% |
| 2012 | #1,927 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 2011 | #1,827 | 111 | 0.0063% |
| 2010 | #2,183 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 2009 | #2,310 | 85 | 0.0046% |
| 2008 | #2,478 | 77 | 0.0041% |
| 2007 | #2,535 | 74 | 0.0038% |
| 2006 | #2,773 | 64 | 0.0034% |
| 2005 | #3,573 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2004 | #3,386 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2003 | #2,833 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 2002 | #2,931 | 51 | 0.0028% |
| 2001 | #2,840 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 2000 | #3,208 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1999 | #2,809 | 49 | 0.0028% |
| 1998 | #9,137 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,080 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 2024 | #2,731 | 48 | 0.0028% |
| 2023 | #3,779 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2022 | #2,670 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 2021 | #3,111 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2020 | #3,120 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2019 | #2,798 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2018 | #3,221 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2017 | #2,997 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 2016 | #2,582 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 2015 | #2,798 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2014 | #4,371 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #4,039 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #5,010 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #6,192 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #7,019 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #7,153 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #4,368 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #6,541 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #5,733 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #9,941 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #6,077 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #7,146 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #5,343 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #7,404 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #6,995 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #9,428 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #10,529 | 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 Sailor Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. 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.
✦ Sailor's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sailor's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.