Amber
Amber is a girl's name of Arabic origin.
Meaning
Fossilized tree resin or ambergris; warm golden jewel.
Origin and history
Amber is derived from the Arabic word 'anbar', referring to ambergris, and later associated with the fossilized tree resin used in jewelry. It gained widespread popularity as a gemstone name in the late 20th century. While it was a top name for U.S. girls in the 1980s and 1990s, its contemporary usage has become moderate.
Popularity in the United States
374,690 babies in the United States have been named Amber since 1880. It ranks #97 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #530.
States where it is most popular
- CA (10.8 %)
- TX (8.6 %)
- OH (5 %)
- FL (4.5 %)
- PA (4.2 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 46 |
| 1890-1900 | 131 |
| 1900-1910 | 170 |
| 1910-1920 | 327 |
| 1920-1930 | 304 |
| 1930-1940 | 192 |
| 1940-1950 | 537 |
| 1950-1960 | 1,255 |
| 1960-1970 | 5,467 |
| 1970-1980 | 47,063 |
| 1980-1990 | 153,951 |
| 1990-2000 | 115,605 |
| 2000-2010 | 36,217 |
| 2010-2019 | 10,023 |
| 2020-2029 | 3,402 |
Famous people named Amber
- Amber Heard: Actress
- Amber Tamblyn: Actress, Author
- Amber Riley: Actress, Singer
Fun facts
- The name originates from 'anbar', which originally referred to ambergris before being applied to the golden fossilized resin.
- The 1944 historical romance novel 'Forever Amber' by Kathleen Winsor significantly increased the name's visibility in the mid-20th century.