Fun Facts About the Name Sir
- More than 2 thousand babies named Sir: U.S. records list 2,172 babies given the name Sir from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Sir Mean?
Sir is the English honorific used as a polite or formal form of address to a man, and also as a title placed before the name of a knight or baronet. The word goes back to Middle English sire and sir, borrowed from Old French sire and ultimately from Latin senior, the comparative of senex, "old." The literal sense is "older" or "elder," meaning a person of greater age or higher standing. The customary sense - a man of rank or authority, and later any man addressed politely - grew out of that idea of seniority and superiority.
As a personal name, Sir is a modern use of the word itself rather than a traditional given name with its own long lineage. It belongs to the loose category of English word names, in which an ordinary noun or title is adopted directly as a first name. It has no connection to unrelated names that merely look or sound similar, such as Cyrus or Silas.
Sir Name History & Origins
The Latin senex ("old") produced senior ("older"), which passed into Old French as sire and came into English after the Norman Conquest. Middle English used sire and sir both as a respectful form of address and as a title for a man of rank. The same Latin root also gave English senior, senate, and senile. In medieval and later England, "sir" preceded the name of a knight, as in Sir John, and was also used for priests; the related form sire could mean a king or a father.
The word's range narrowed and shifted over time. In British usage, "Sir" before a first name now marks a knight or baronet, while in American English "sir" survives chiefly as direct address to a man, including to a superior officer or to a customer. Its use as a first name is recent and follows the pattern of other English word names; the naming of a son Sir by Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2017 is a widely reported example of that usage.
How Popular is the Name Sir?
Sir 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 2021. Its best rank was #1,466 in 2021.
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 | #2,179 | 66 | 0.0039% |
| 2024 | #1,962 | 80 | 0.0047% |
| 2023 | #1,892 | 84 | 0.0049% |
| 2022 | #1,743 | 96 | 0.0055% |
| 2021 | #1,466 | 123 | 0.0070% |
| 2020 | #1,523 | 110 | 0.0064% |
| 2019 | #1,531 | 111 | 0.0062% |
| 2018 | #1,537 | 111 | 0.0061% |
| 2017 | #2,337 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2016 | #2,511 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2015 | #2,383 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 2014 | #2,292 | 58 | 0.0030% |
| 2013 | #2,327 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 2012 | #3,354 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2011 | #3,293 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2010 | #2,546 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 2009 | #3,323 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 2008 | #2,669 | 47 | 0.0023% |
| 2007 | #2,801 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #2,820 | 41 | 0.0020% |
| 2005 | #2,460 | 47 | 0.0024% |
| 2004 | #2,530 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 2003 | #2,419 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 2002 | #2,745 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2001 | #3,137 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2000 | #4,043 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1999 | #3,087 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1998 | #3,174 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #2,602 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1996 | #3,653 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #4,020 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #2,837 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #2,682 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1992 | #2,457 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1991 | #1,862 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 1990 | #1,964 | 39 | 0.0019% |
| 1989 | #3,428 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #2,501 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1987 | #3,315 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #2,991 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #2,922 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1984 | #1,880 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1983 | #2,328 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1982 | #2,053 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1981 | #2,407 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1980 | #2,357 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1979 | #2,551 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1978 | #2,369 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1977 | #2,892 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1976 | #2,937 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1975 | #4,724 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #3,797 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #4,008 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #5,641 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #4,321 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #4,653 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #4,079 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #4,459 | 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 Sir 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 intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Sir's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sir's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.