Bear
Bear is a boy's name of English origin.
Meaning
Bear (the animal); derived from Old English root meaning 'the brown one'.
Origin and history
Bear is an English vocabulary name derived from the Old English word 'bera', referring to the wild animal. Long used as a protective nickname or word name, it has gained modern popularity in the United States as a nature-inspired given name. Its usage has risen notably in recent years following trends toward outdoor and animal-inspired names.
Popularity in the United States
3,356 babies in the United States have been named Bear since 1880. It ranks #2216 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #789.
States where it is most popular
- CA (16.6 %)
- TX (13.5 %)
- FL (6.4 %)
- CO (4.9 %)
- OH (4.4 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 0 |
| 1930-1940 | 0 |
| 1940-1950 | 0 |
| 1950-1960 | 0 |
| 1960-1970 | 0 |
| 1970-1980 | 6 |
| 1980-1990 | 5 |
| 1990-2000 | 11 |
| 2000-2010 | 172 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,405 |
| 2020-2029 | 1,757 |
Famous people named Bear
- Bear Grylls: Adventurer, Television Host
Fun facts
- Bear is part of a modern American naming trend favoring rugged outdoor and wildlife vocabulary names like Fox and Wolf.
- The word originally stems from Proto-Germanic roots that served as a euphemism for the animal, meaning 'the brown one'.