Bridger
Bridger was the 701st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 383 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 323 places. More babies were named Bridger in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning bridge keeper or builder (English surname) · English
Say it BRIJ-er /ˈbrɪdʒər/
- Rank in 2025
- #701 boys, up 230 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 383boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025383 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,945babies recorded
What does the name Bridger mean?
Bridger is an English occupational surname, from bridge plus -er, for someone who lived by, kept or built a bridge, according to Wiktionary. Wiktionary lists places called Bridger in Montana and South Dakota. The American Heritage Dictionary traces bridge to Old English brycg. As a boys' name Bridger has been used in the US since 1974, and it has occasionally been given to girls since 2015.
bridge (English, “bridge”)-er (English, “agent suffix”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Bridges, Brigham.
See also: English names, names from occupations.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Bridger' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., entry 'bridge' (etymology), HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Bridger popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 72 since 2015, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #701 | 383 |
| 2020 | #931 | 239 |
| 2010 | #920 | 219 |
| 2000 | #1,015 | 144 |
| 1990 | #2,221 | 32 |
| 1980 | #3,882 | 10 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Bridger, counting every spelling?
Bridger has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #691 for boys in 2025, against #701 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Bridger?
383 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Bridger (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Bridger 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 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Bridger.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Bridger?
About 6,800 people born in the US named Bridger are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 5 and 21. That makes Bridger mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Bridger by state
How common Bridger was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (43.4×), North Dakota (18.7×), Montana (18.7×), Idaho (10.5×), Utah (9.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New York, Florida, South Carolina.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Bridger: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Bridger, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Bridger · Sibling names for Bridger
Questions about the name Bridger
What does Bridger mean?
Bridger means “bridge keeper or builder (English surname)” (English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Bridger?
Bridger was the 701st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 383 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 323 places. More babies were named Bridger in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Bridger a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Bridger in the US.
Where is Bridger most popular?
In 2021–2025, Bridger was most common in Wyoming (8.82 per 1,000 boys), followed by North Dakota and Montana.