Fern
Fern was the 1220th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 186 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 152nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,341). Over the last ten years it has moved up 980 places. More babies were named Fern in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning fern (the plant) · English, Old English
Say it FURN /fɝn/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,220 girls, up 345 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 186girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19181,341 babies
- Total since 1880
- 38,195babies recorded
What does the name Fern mean?
Fern is an English word name, from the plant (Old English fearn). It is also a topographic surname for someone who lived where ferns grew. Wikipedia notes it has been used as a girls' name since the 1800s, and it was most common in the US in the 1910s and 1920s; it has come back into use since the 2010s. Fern is also the heroine of E. B. White's Charlotte's Web.
fearn (Old English, “fern”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ferne, Fernanda.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fern', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Fern (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Fern popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 529 since 1884.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,220 | 186 |
| 2020 | #1,565 | 135 |
| 2010 | #4,427 | 33 |
| 2000 | #6,030 | 18 |
| 1990 | #8,713 | 9 |
| 1980 | #4,383 | 17 |
| 1970 | #1,491 | 67 |
| 1960 | #758 | 183 |
| 1950 | #547 | 228 |
| 1940 | #359 | 328 |
| 1930 | #246 | 633 |
| 1920 | #170 | 1,304 |
| 1910 | #174 | 394 |
| 1900 | #193 | 266 |
| 1890 | #224 | 119 |
| 1880 | #558 | 10 |
How popular is Fern, counting every spelling?
Fern has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,168 for girls in 2025, against #1,220 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Fern?
186 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fern (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Fern 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 45 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fern.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fern?
About 7,500 people born in the US named Fern are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 32 and 81. That makes Fern a name most people associate with older generations. 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.
Fern by state
How common Fern was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (7.3×), Utah (4.3×), Washington (3.8×), Minnesota (3.2×), Michigan (2.5×). In 28 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Fern: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fern, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Fern · Sibling names for Fern
Questions about the name Fern
What does Fern mean?
Fern means “fern (the plant)” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Fern?
Fern was the 1220th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 186 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 152nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,341). Over the last ten years it has moved up 980 places. More babies were named Fern in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Fern a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Fern in the US.
Where is Fern most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fern was most common in Oregon (0.74 per 1,000 girls), followed by Utah and Maine.