Fletcher
Fletcher was the 547th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 549 babies. Its best year was 1892, when it ranked 266th; the most babies were born in 2025 (549). Over the last ten years it has moved up 118 places. More babies were named Fletcher in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning arrow maker (English surname) · English, French
Say it FLECH-er /ˈflɛtʃər/
- Rank in 2025
- #547 boys, up 107 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 549boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025549 babies
- Total since 1880
- 17,644babies recorded
What does the name Fletcher mean?
Fletcher is an English occupational surname for a maker of arrows. The American Heritage Dictionary traces the word through Middle English fleccher to Old French flechier, from fleche, arrow, a word of Germanic origin; Wiktionary gives the same source and notes that the surname is sometimes confused with Flesher, a butcher. As a boys' first name Fletcher has been used in the US since 1880.
flechier (Old French, “arrow maker”)fleche (Old French, “arrow”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Flecher.
See also: English names, names from occupations.
Sources for this meaning
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., entry 'fletcher' (etymology), HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fletcher' (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 Fletcher
The usual nicknames for Fletcher are Fletch.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fletch | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Fletchers go by each one.
Fletcher popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 225 since 1913, 12 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #547 | 549 |
| 2020 | #654 | 404 |
| 2010 | #883 | 237 |
| 2000 | #1,072 | 133 |
| 1990 | #1,372 | 66 |
| 1980 | #1,190 | 59 |
| 1970 | #923 | 75 |
| 1960 | #879 | 75 |
| 1950 | #628 | 120 |
| 1940 | #620 | 92 |
| 1930 | #549 | 120 |
| 1920 | #554 | 123 |
| 1910 | #341 | 54 |
| 1900 | #284 | 53 |
| 1890 | #372 | 23 |
| 1880 | #345 | 25 |
How popular is Fletcher, counting every spelling?
Fletcher has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #547 for boys in 2025.
How many kids will share the name Fletcher?
549 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fletcher (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Fletcher 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 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fletcher.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fletcher?
About 11,700 people born in the US named Fletcher are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 37. That makes Fletcher 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.
Fletcher by state
How common Fletcher was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Montana (4.6×), Arkansas (4.4×), West Virginia (3.5×), Iowa (3.1×), Wisconsin (2.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New York, Massachusetts, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Fletcher: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fletcher, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Fletcher · Sibling names for Fletcher
Questions about the name Fletcher
What does Fletcher mean?
Fletcher means “arrow maker (English surname)” (English, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Fletcher?
Fletcher was the 547th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 549 babies. Its best year was 1892, when it ranked 266th; the most babies were born in 2025 (549). Over the last ten years it has moved up 118 places. More babies were named Fletcher in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Fletcher a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Fletcher in the US.
Where is Fletcher most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fletcher was most common in Montana (1.25 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arkansas and West Virginia.