Edgar Boy

Popularity: #443 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ED-gar //ˈɛdɡər//

Origin: Old English; Germanic

Meaning: Old English: wealthy spear; Germanic: prosperous warrior

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Edgar has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "ead," meaning wealth or fortune, and "gar," meaning spear. This etymological combination suggests a meaning akin to "wealthy spear" or "fortunate warrior." The name was introduced into England by the Anglo-Saxons and can be traced back to the 7th century, appearing in various forms such as Eadgar and Eadgār in early medieval texts.

The transition into Middle English retained the name as Edgar, which became more standardized by the 12th century as the Norman influence permeated the English language following the Norman Conquest of 1066. Historically, the name Edgar is notably associated with Edgar the Peaceful, who was King of England from 959 to 975.

His reign is often characterized by relative peace and stability, which contributed to the name's positive connotations. Additionally, the name appears in various historical texts, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which documents the early history of England.

The name also gained prominence through its association with saints, particularly Saint Edgar, who was canonized in the 11th century, further embedding the name in the cultural and religious fabric of medieval England. Culturally, Edgar has resonated through literature and the arts, often symbolizing nobility and valor.

The name appears in works such as Shakespeare's "King Lear," where Edgar is portrayed as a virtuous and resilient character. This literary presence has helped maintain the name's significance over the centuries.

The diminutive form "Eddie" has also emerged, reflecting a more familiar or affectionate usage, though it is not as historically prominent as the full name. Overall, Edgar's enduring legacy is a testament to its rich linguistic roots and historical associations.

Famous people named Edgar

In this section, you will find notable people named Edgar. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Edgar who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Edgar who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Edgar Allan Poe is a writer best known for The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Edgar Wright is a director best known for Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Baby Driver.

Edgar Ramirez is an actor best known for Carlos, Zero Dark Thirty, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

Edgar Degas is a painter best known for The Ballet Class, The Dance Class, and The Absinthe Drinker.

Edgar Mitchell is an astronaut best known for being the sixth person to walk on the Moon during Apollo 14.

Fictional characters named Edgar

The following list of fictional characters named Edgar is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Edgar Allan Poe is a fictional character from the film The Raven. He is a famous writer and poet who becomes embroiled in a mystery involving a serial killer inspired by his own works.

Edgar is a fictional character from the animated film The Aristocats. He is the greedy butler who attempts to eliminate the cats to inherit their owner's fortune.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Edgar, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EdwardEthanEliasEmmettEvanElliot

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Edgar. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

EugeneEdmundEdisonEliEzekielEmeryEwan

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Edgar was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Edgar has ranked as high as #301 nationally, which occurred in 2005, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Edgar has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Edgar is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Edgar was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Edgar.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 617 617 0
2024 682 682 0
2023 714 714 0
2022 775 775 0
2021 758 758 0
2020 789 789 0
2019 812 812 0
2018 925 925 0
2017 940 940 0
2016 1,013 1,013 0
2015 1,114 1,114 0
2014 1,180 1,180 0
2013 1,210 1,210 0
2012 1,317 1,317 0
2011 1,473 1,468 5
2010 1,644 1,644 0
2009 1,914 1,908 6
2008 2,064 2,064 0
2007 2,420 2,420 0
2006 2,392 2,392 0
2005 2,459 2,454 5
2004 2,393 2,385 8
2003 2,320 2,320 0
2002 2,195 2,195 0
2001 2,386 2,376 10
2000 2,072 2,072 0
1999 2,042 2,036 6
1998 2,057 2,047 10
1997 2,129 2,115 14
1996 2,368 2,359 9
1995 2,335 2,321 14
1994 2,405 2,393 12
1993 2,282 2,263 19
1992 2,222 2,207 15
1991 2,284 2,267 17
1990 2,232 2,207 25
1989 2,125 2,106 19
1988 1,637 1,616 21
1987 1,617 1,603 14
1986 1,030 1,020 10
1985 888 880 8
1984 849 834 15
1983 907 896 11
1982 843 832 11
1981 938 933 5
1980 896 888 8
1979 810 803 7
1978 699 689 10
1977 716 711 5
1976 670 665 5
1975 725 717 8
1974 658 652 6
1973 599 594 5
1972 641 634 7
1971 674 674 0
1970 673 666 7
1969 643 637 6
1968 601 596 5
1967 599 590 9
1966 589 581 8
1965 603 603 0
1964 726 721 5
1963 661 653 8
1962 698 693 5
1961 695 695 0
1960 716 716 0
1959 752 752 0
1958 751 751 0
1957 778 773 5
1956 851 851 0
1955 933 933 0
1954 913 913 0
1953 897 897 0
1952 889 889 0
1951 938 938 0
1950 937 937 0
1949 914 914 0
1948 975 975 0
1947 1,056 1,056 0
1946 909 909 0
1945 869 869 0
1944 976 976 0
1943 1,082 1,082 0
1942 1,049 1,049 0
1941 995 989 6
1940 985 985 0
1939 1,015 1,008 7
1938 1,037 1,030 7
1937 1,068 1,068 0
1936 1,074 1,068 6
1935 1,152 1,145 7
1934 1,153 1,148 5
1933 1,191 1,183 8
1932 1,316 1,307 9
1931 1,389 1,377 12
1930 1,542 1,526 16
1929 1,498 1,487 11
1928 1,617 1,600 17
1927 1,734 1,723 11
1926 1,692 1,677 15
1925 1,819 1,809 10
1924 1,890 1,878 12
1923 1,906 1,897 9
1922 1,934 1,923 11
1921 2,027 2,014 13
1920 2,042 2,029 13
1919 1,998 1,986 12
1918 2,096 2,085 11
1917 1,931 1,920 11
1916 1,885 1,874 11
1915 1,905 1,895 10
1914 1,368 1,361 7
1913 1,092 1,087 5
1912 950 945 5
1911 486 486 0
1910 446 441 5
1909 347 347 0
1908 360 360 0
1907 321 321 0
1906 301 301 0
1905 315 315 0
1904 299 299 0
1903 259 259 0
1902 307 307 0
1901 271 271 0
1900 374 374 0
1899 249 249 0
1898 290 285 5
1897 278 278 0
1896 306 306 0
1895 323 323 0
1894 313 313 0
1893 310 310 0
1892 303 303 0
1891 277 277 0
1890 343 338 5
1889 322 322 0
1888 321 321 0
1887 266 266 0
1886 309 309 0
1885 303 303 0
1884 290 290 0
1883 292 292 0
1882 308 308 0
1881 312 312 0
1880 288 283 5

Top States for Edgar (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 154
24%
TX 152
23%
FL 27
4%
AZ 24
4%
WA 20
3%
IL 20
3%
CO 17
3%
NY 17
3%
GA 16
2%
NC 14
2%
TN 14
2%
PA 13
2%
OH 13
2%
MO 11
2%
OK 11
2%
MD 11
2%
VA 10
2%
WI 9
1%
IN 9
1%
NM 9
1%
SC 8
1%
MA 8
1%
MN 8
1%
OR 7
1%
NE 7
1%
ID 6
1%
AL 6
1%
AR 6
1%
LA 6
1%
UT 6
1%
MS 5
1%
KS 5
1%
NV 5
1%