Norman Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: NOR-muhn //ˈnɔːrmən//
Origin: Old French; Germanic
Meaning: Old French: Northman; Germanic: man of the north
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Norman is derived from the Old High German term "northman," which referred to the Norsemen or Vikings who settled in what is now Normandy, France. The etymological journey begins with the Proto-Germanic roots, where "norðr" means "north" and "mann" translates to "man." This term evolved into the Old French "Normand," which was used to describe the inhabitants of Normandy after the Viking settlement in the 9th century.
The name entered the English language following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, when many Normans became influential in English society and governance. Historically, the name Norman is associated with significant figures and events.
One notable bearer was Norman of Sicily, a prominent figure in the 11th century who played a crucial role in the Norman conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily. The name also appears in various historical texts, including the works of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, which chronicled the history of Britain and its rulers, further embedding the name in the cultural narrative of medieval England.
Additionally, the name has been borne by several saints and notable ecclesiastical figures throughout the centuries, contributing to its historical resonance. Culturally, the name Norman has been associated with notions of strength and leadership, reflecting the martial prowess of the Viking heritage.
The name has also been linked to the concept of nobility, as many Normans became lords and landowners following their conquests. In some contexts, diminutive forms like Norm or Norrie have emerged, though they are less historically significant.
Overall, the name Norman encapsulates a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution, historical significance, and cultural symbolism that has endured through the ages.
Famous people named Norman
In this section, you will find notable people named Norman. 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 Norman who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Norman 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.
Norman Reedus is an actor best known for The Walking Dead, Boondock Saints, and Ride with Norman Reedus.
Norman Mailer is an author best known for The Naked and the Dead, The Executioner's Song, and Armies of the Night.
Norman Rockwell is an artist best known for his illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post, the Four Freedoms series, and his iconic depictions of American life.
Norman Jewison is a film director best known for In the Heat of the Night, Fiddler on the Roof, and Moonstruck.
Norman Foster is an architect best known for the Hearst Tower, 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin), and the Reichstag building in Berlin.
Norman Osborn is a fictional character best known as the Green Goblin in Marvel Comics.
Norman Granz is a jazz producer best known for founding Verve Records and promoting jazz concerts.
Norman Corwin is a writer and director best known for his radio dramas and the film Lust for Life.
Fictional characters named Norman
The following list of fictional characters named Norman 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.
Norman Bates is a fictional character from the novel and film Psycho. He is a disturbed motel owner with a complex relationship with his mother, leading to chilling consequences.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Norman, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Norman. 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.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Norman was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Norman has ranked as high as #83 nationally, which occurred in 1928, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and Michigan.
In the past 5 years the name Norman has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Norman 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 Norman 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 Norman.
| Year | Total Births | Boy | Girl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 169 | 169 | 0 |
| 2024 | 149 | 149 | 0 |
| 2023 | 138 | 138 | 0 |
| 2022 | 168 | 168 | 0 |
| 2021 | 170 | 170 | 0 |
| 2020 | 174 | 174 | 0 |
| 2019 | 160 | 160 | 0 |
| 2018 | 156 | 156 | 0 |
| 2017 | 172 | 172 | 0 |
| 2016 | 183 | 183 | 0 |
| 2015 | 148 | 148 | 0 |
| 2014 | 174 | 174 | 0 |
| 2013 | 160 | 160 | 0 |
| 2012 | 160 | 160 | 0 |
| 2011 | 130 | 130 | 0 |
| 2010 | 147 | 147 | 0 |
| 2009 | 164 | 164 | 0 |
| 2008 | 196 | 196 | 0 |
| 2007 | 192 | 192 | 0 |
| 2006 | 182 | 182 | 0 |
| 2005 | 197 | 197 | 0 |
| 2004 | 211 | 211 | 0 |
| 2003 | 220 | 220 | 0 |
| 2002 | 210 | 210 | 0 |
| 2001 | 228 | 228 | 0 |
| 2000 | 271 | 271 | 0 |
| 1999 | 240 | 240 | 0 |
| 1998 | 271 | 271 | 0 |
| 1997 | 295 | 295 | 0 |
| 1996 | 264 | 264 | 0 |
| 1995 | 279 | 279 | 0 |
| 1994 | 328 | 328 | 0 |
| 1993 | 393 | 393 | 0 |
| 1992 | 405 | 405 | 0 |
| 1991 | 520 | 520 | 0 |
| 1990 | 444 | 444 | 0 |
| 1989 | 497 | 497 | 0 |
| 1988 | 500 | 492 | 8 |
| 1987 | 531 | 525 | 6 |
| 1986 | 503 | 503 | 0 |
| 1985 | 583 | 574 | 9 |
| 1984 | 601 | 594 | 7 |
| 1983 | 630 | 624 | 6 |
| 1982 | 639 | 634 | 5 |
| 1981 | 685 | 685 | 0 |
| 1980 | 732 | 725 | 7 |
| 1979 | 703 | 695 | 8 |
| 1978 | 752 | 739 | 13 |
| 1977 | 769 | 755 | 14 |
| 1976 | 833 | 825 | 8 |
| 1975 | 858 | 849 | 9 |
| 1974 | 1,009 | 1,000 | 9 |
| 1973 | 997 | 987 | 10 |
| 1972 | 1,181 | 1,171 | 10 |
| 1971 | 1,363 | 1,342 | 21 |
| 1970 | 1,535 | 1,522 | 13 |
| 1969 | 1,667 | 1,647 | 20 |
| 1968 | 1,789 | 1,767 | 22 |
| 1967 | 1,975 | 1,955 | 20 |
| 1966 | 2,186 | 2,171 | 15 |
| 1965 | 2,321 | 2,302 | 19 |
| 1964 | 2,272 | 2,258 | 14 |
| 1963 | 2,498 | 2,478 | 20 |
| 1962 | 2,800 | 2,788 | 12 |
| 1961 | 2,700 | 2,687 | 13 |
| 1960 | 2,724 | 2,700 | 24 |
| 1959 | 2,796 | 2,776 | 20 |
| 1958 | 3,092 | 3,074 | 18 |
| 1957 | 3,355 | 3,340 | 15 |
| 1956 | 3,436 | 3,417 | 19 |
| 1955 | 3,438 | 3,411 | 27 |
| 1954 | 3,429 | 3,417 | 12 |
| 1953 | 3,387 | 3,372 | 15 |
| 1952 | 3,588 | 3,572 | 16 |
| 1951 | 3,743 | 3,729 | 14 |
| 1950 | 3,664 | 3,641 | 23 |
| 1949 | 3,676 | 3,668 | 8 |
| 1948 | 3,912 | 3,894 | 18 |
| 1947 | 4,425 | 4,410 | 15 |
| 1946 | 4,182 | 4,161 | 21 |
| 1945 | 3,742 | 3,726 | 16 |
| 1944 | 4,091 | 4,065 | 26 |
| 1943 | 4,543 | 4,522 | 21 |
| 1942 | 4,703 | 4,683 | 20 |
| 1941 | 4,482 | 4,459 | 23 |
| 1940 | 4,601 | 4,576 | 25 |
| 1939 | 4,759 | 4,742 | 17 |
| 1938 | 4,991 | 4,953 | 38 |
| 1937 | 4,696 | 4,673 | 23 |
| 1936 | 4,669 | 4,645 | 24 |
| 1935 | 5,062 | 5,043 | 19 |
| 1934 | 5,010 | 4,989 | 21 |
| 1933 | 4,998 | 4,959 | 39 |
| 1932 | 5,314 | 5,268 | 46 |
| 1931 | 5,462 | 5,426 | 36 |
| 1930 | 5,330 | 5,289 | 41 |
| 1929 | 5,212 | 5,157 | 55 |
| 1928 | 5,637 | 5,590 | 47 |
| 1927 | 5,542 | 5,494 | 48 |
| 1926 | 5,337 | 5,282 | 55 |
| 1925 | 5,012 | 4,975 | 37 |
| 1924 | 5,080 | 5,045 | 35 |
| 1923 | 4,734 | 4,706 | 28 |
| 1922 | 4,564 | 4,527 | 37 |
| 1921 | 4,505 | 4,479 | 26 |
| 1920 | 4,142 | 4,109 | 33 |
| 1919 | 3,833 | 3,809 | 24 |
| 1918 | 3,895 | 3,867 | 28 |
| 1917 | 3,808 | 3,788 | 20 |
| 1916 | 3,633 | 3,609 | 24 |
| 1915 | 3,282 | 3,262 | 20 |
| 1914 | 2,348 | 2,335 | 13 |
| 1913 | 1,759 | 1,748 | 11 |
| 1912 | 1,378 | 1,367 | 11 |
| 1911 | 691 | 691 | 0 |
| 1910 | 557 | 557 | 0 |
| 1909 | 415 | 415 | 0 |
| 1908 | 374 | 374 | 0 |
| 1907 | 368 | 362 | 6 |
| 1906 | 324 | 324 | 0 |
| 1905 | 355 | 350 | 5 |
| 1904 | 305 | 305 | 0 |
| 1903 | 238 | 238 | 0 |
| 1902 | 261 | 256 | 5 |
| 1901 | 238 | 238 | 0 |
| 1900 | 321 | 316 | 5 |
| 1899 | 228 | 223 | 5 |
| 1898 | 207 | 207 | 0 |
| 1897 | 197 | 197 | 0 |
| 1896 | 178 | 178 | 0 |
| 1895 | 211 | 211 | 0 |
| 1894 | 199 | 199 | 0 |
| 1893 | 172 | 166 | 6 |
| 1892 | 191 | 191 | 0 |
| 1891 | 163 | 163 | 0 |
| 1890 | 156 | 156 | 0 |
| 1889 | 141 | 141 | 0 |
| 1888 | 156 | 156 | 0 |
| 1887 | 119 | 119 | 0 |
| 1886 | 161 | 161 | 0 |
| 1885 | 118 | 118 | 0 |
| 1884 | 130 | 130 | 0 |
| 1883 | 106 | 106 | 0 |
| 1882 | 107 | 107 | 0 |
| 1881 | 95 | 95 | 0 |
| 1880 | 102 | 102 | 0 |
Top States for Norman (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 |
|---|---|---|
| PA | 15 | |
| OH | 12 | |
| TX | 11 | |
| CA | 10 | |
| MI | 8 | |
| NY | 8 | |
| IA | 5 | |
| WA | 5 | |
| IN | 5 | |
| MN | 5 |