Major
Major was the 670th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 407 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 2017 (1,042). Over the last ten years it has moved down 309 places. More babies were named Major in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English, Latin, Germanic
Say it MAY-jer /ˈmeɪdʒər/
- Rank in 2025
- #670 boys, down 321 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 407boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20171,042 babies
- Total since 1880
- 21,749babies recorded
What does the name Major mean?
Major has several sources. As an English surname, Wiktionary derives it from a Norman personal name Malgier, of Germanic origin; it is also a French, Hungarian, Polish and Jewish surname. Harrison (1918) and Dictionary.com relate the word major to Latin major, "greater". As a modern boy's name it is usually the military rank or the word meaning "important".
major (Latin, “greater”)Malgier (Norman French, “personal name”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The word name is clear; older surname origins vary.
Related names: Mayor, Majer.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Major', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MAJOR', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'major', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Major popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 76 since 1923.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #670 | 407 |
| 2020 | #349 | 913 |
| 2010 | #881 | 238 |
| 2000 | #1,911 | 55 |
| 1990 | #1,428 | 62 |
| 1980 | #1,129 | 65 |
| 1970 | #948 | 72 |
| 1960 | #902 | 71 |
| 1950 | #587 | 134 |
| 1940 | #515 | 127 |
| 1930 | #500 | 143 |
| 1920 | #469 | 169 |
| 1910 | #388 | 46 |
| 1900 | #291 | 51 |
| 1890 | #340 | 27 |
| 1880 | #324 | 28 |
How popular is Major, counting every spelling?
Major is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #658 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #670 for Major on its own. Together these spellings went to 407 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 407 | #670 | 2,941 |
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 Major?
407 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Major (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Major 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 21 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Major.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Major?
About 15,600 people born in the US named Major are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 7 and 19. That makes Major a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Major by state
How common Major was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (4.7×), District of Columbia (4.0×), South Carolina (3.0×), Georgia (2.9×), Alabama (2.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Washington, Utah, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Major: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Major, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Major · Sibling names for Major
Questions about the name Major
What does Major mean?
The origin of Major is uncertain: the word name is clear; older surname origins vary.
How popular is the name Major?
Major was the 670th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 407 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 2017 (1,042). Over the last ten years it has moved down 309 places. More babies were named Major in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Major a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Major in the US.
Where is Major most popular?
In 2021–2025, Major was most common in Mississippi (1.60 per 1,000 boys), followed by District of Columbia and South Carolina.