Ambrose
Ambrose was the 735th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 358 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 233rd; the most babies were born in 2021 (402). Over the last ten years it has moved up 853 places. More babies were named Ambrose in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning immortal, divine (Greek) · Greek, Latin
Say it AM-brohz /ˈæmbroʊz/
- Rank in 2025
- #735 boys, up 83 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 358boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021402 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,911babies recorded
What does the name Ambrose mean?
Ambrose comes from Latin Ambrosius and Greek ambrosios, immortal or divine, as DMNES and Wiktionary agree. DMNES lists Saint Ambrose, the 4th-century archbishop of Milan, and a 5th-century Romano-British war leader of the name who was later identified with King Arthur. The Welsh form is Emrys, and Wiktionary compares the Greek name Athanasius, which also means immortal. Ambrose has been used in the US since 1880.
ἀμβρόσιος (Ancient Greek, “immortal, divine”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ambrosio, Ambrosius, Emrys, Brody.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ambrose', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ambrose' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Ambrose
The usual nicknames for Ambrose are Brose.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brose | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ambroses go by each one.
Ambrose popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 43 since 2019, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #735 | 358 |
| 2020 | #818 | 281 |
| 2010 | #2,188 | 60 |
| 2000 | #2,331 | 41 |
| 1990 | #1,870 | 41 |
| 1980 | #1,621 | 36 |
| 1970 | #1,616 | 28 |
| 1960 | #1,083 | 51 |
| 1950 | #1,182 | 37 |
| 1940 | #770 | 64 |
| 1930 | #591 | 104 |
| 1920 | #406 | 209 |
| 1910 | #370 | 48 |
| 1900 | #305 | 47 |
| 1890 | #283 | 37 |
| 1880 | #291 | 32 |
How popular is Ambrose, counting every spelling?
Ambrose is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #715 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #735 for Ambrose on its own. Together these spellings went to 363 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambrose | 358 | #735 | 1,794 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ambrose?
358 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ambrose (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ambrose born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ambrose.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ambrose?
About 5,500 people born in the US named Ambrose are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 4 and 44. That makes Ambrose a young name: most people with it are children. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ambrose by state
How common Ambrose was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (2.5×), Minnesota (2.4×), Colorado (2.0×), Kansas (1.9×), Indiana (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Maryland, Utah, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ambrose: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ambrose, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ambrose · Sibling names for Ambrose
Questions about the name Ambrose
What does Ambrose mean?
Ambrose means “immortal, divine (Greek)” (Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ambrose?
Ambrose was the 735th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 358 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 233rd; the most babies were born in 2021 (402). Over the last ten years it has moved up 853 places. More babies were named Ambrose in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Ambrose a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ambrose in the US.
Where is Ambrose most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ambrose was most common in Oregon (0.53 per 1,000 boys), followed by Minnesota and Colorado.