Spencer Boy

Popularity: #339 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: SPEN-sir //ˈspɛnsər//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: steward; French: from the spice merchant

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Spencer has its origins in the Old French word "despenser," which means "to dispense" or "to distribute." This term was derived from the Latin "dispensator," which referred to a steward or one who manages provisions. The name was introduced into England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, where it evolved into a surname before being adopted as a given name.

Initially, it denoted someone who held the position of a steward or a person responsible for managing a household's supplies, particularly in noble or wealthy households. Historically, the name Spencer gained prominence through notable figures, particularly in the English aristocracy.

One significant milestone was the rise of the Spencer family, which became prominent in the 15th century. The family produced several notable individuals, including John Spencer, who was created a baron in the 18th century, and his descendant, Diana, Princess of Wales, who brought further attention to the name in the late 20th century.

The name also appears in various literary works and historical texts, reinforcing its association with nobility and stewardship. Culturally, the name Spencer carries connotations of responsibility and leadership, reflecting its etymological roots in stewardship.

It has been used in various forms of literature and media, often symbolizing characters who embody these traits. The name has also seen variations and diminutives, such as Spence, which have been used informally.

Overall, Spencer's historical significance and cultural resonance have contributed to its enduring presence in English-speaking societies.

Famous people named Spencer

In this section, you will find notable people named Spencer. 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 Spencer who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Spencer 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.

Spencer Tracy is an actor best known for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Bad Day at Black Rock, and Captains Courageous.

Spencer Hawes is a former professional basketball player best known for playing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Bobcats, and Sacramento Kings.

Spencer Pratt is a television personality best known for his role on The Hills and for his appearances on reality television.

Spencer Dinwiddie is a professional basketball player best known for playing with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.

Spencer Reid is a fictional character from the television series Criminal Minds, known for his genius-level IQ and expertise in criminal profiling.

Fictional characters named Spencer

The following list of fictional characters named Spencer 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.

Spencer Reid is a fictional character from the TV series Criminal Minds. He is a highly intelligent FBI agent with an exceptional ability to analyze criminal behavior.

Sibling suggestions

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

ParkerHunterCarterMasonLoganTyler

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Spencer. 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.

SawyerAsherGraysonJasperColtonBennettCohenWesley

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Spencer has ranked as high as #149 nationally, which occurred in 1998, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Utah, and Ohio.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Spencer 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 Spencer 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 Spencer.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,153 908 245
2024 1,062 845 217
2023 1,148 903 245
2022 1,220 990 230
2021 1,291 1,050 241
2020 1,284 1,046 238
2019 1,280 1,038 242
2018 1,364 1,117 247
2017 1,479 1,212 267
2016 1,616 1,371 245
2015 1,672 1,433 239
2014 1,723 1,520 203
2013 1,638 1,459 179
2012 1,681 1,536 145
2011 1,685 1,585 100
2010 1,612 1,555 57
2009 1,734 1,696 38
2008 2,144 2,092 52
2007 2,411 2,365 46
2006 2,229 2,186 43
2005 2,356 2,317 39
2004 2,733 2,664 69
2003 2,962 2,908 54
2002 3,538 3,448 90
2001 3,816 3,732 84
2000 4,143 4,044 99
1999 4,309 4,194 115
1998 4,780 4,619 161
1997 3,881 3,766 115
1996 3,723 3,609 114
1995 3,741 3,618 123
1994 3,952 3,813 139
1993 4,027 3,884 143
1992 3,827 3,696 131
1991 3,695 3,564 131
1990 3,556 3,419 137
1989 3,229 3,126 103
1988 2,763 2,695 68
1987 2,305 2,251 54
1986 1,672 1,644 28
1985 1,130 1,114 16
1984 945 935 10
1983 963 943 20
1982 945 927 18
1981 838 827 11
1980 738 721 17
1979 859 847 12
1978 750 736 14
1977 731 731 0
1976 777 771 6
1975 702 696 6
1974 571 564 7
1973 598 592 6
1972 621 621 0
1971 622 622 0
1970 725 717 8
1969 708 708 0
1968 548 541 7
1967 375 375 0
1966 366 366 0
1965 456 456 0
1964 425 425 0
1963 415 410 5
1962 380 380 0
1961 397 397 0
1960 363 358 5
1959 319 319 0
1958 284 284 0
1957 275 275 0
1956 314 308 6
1955 325 325 0
1954 291 291 0
1953 295 295 0
1952 340 340 0
1951 395 395 0
1950 327 322 5
1949 319 319 0
1948 313 313 0
1947 337 337 0
1946 303 303 0
1945 266 266 0
1944 282 282 0
1943 351 351 0
1942 312 312 0
1941 291 291 0
1940 262 262 0
1939 259 259 0
1938 206 206 0
1937 180 180 0
1936 193 193 0
1935 163 163 0
1934 185 185 0
1933 155 155 0
1932 151 151 0
1931 147 141 6
1930 153 153 0
1929 157 157 0
1928 168 168 0
1927 180 180 0
1926 176 176 0
1925 177 177 0
1924 188 188 0
1923 199 199 0
1922 203 197 6
1921 195 195 0
1920 229 229 0
1919 160 160 0
1918 210 210 0
1917 204 204 0
1916 169 169 0
1915 153 153 0
1914 124 124 0
1913 124 124 0
1912 105 105 0
1911 70 70 0
1910 54 54 0
1909 49 49 0
1908 61 61 0
1907 41 41 0
1906 29 29 0
1905 38 38 0
1904 44 44 0
1903 28 28 0
1902 32 32 0
1901 30 30 0
1900 44 44 0
1899 39 39 0
1898 40 40 0
1897 23 23 0
1896 28 28 0
1895 35 35 0
1894 27 27 0
1893 21 21 0
1892 33 33 0
1891 33 33 0
1890 30 30 0
1889 28 28 0
1888 38 38 0
1887 41 41 0
1886 29 29 0
1885 23 23 0
1884 32 32 0
1883 28 28 0
1882 33 33 0
1881 26 26 0
1880 35 35 0

Top States for Spencer (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
TX 69
7%
CA 66
7%
NY 57
6%
FL 50
5%
PA 49
5%
OH 48
5%
IL 39
4%
IN 37
4%
NC 35
4%
MI 31
3%
VA 30
3%
MO 30
3%
GA 30
3%
AL 28
3%
OK 24
2%
KY 23
2%
CO 23
2%
MD 23
2%
WA 22
2%
IA 22
2%
MN 21
2%
TN 21
2%
NJ 21
2%
WI 18
2%
AR 17
2%
MA 17
2%
UT 16
2%
LA 13
1%
CT 11
1%
KS 11
1%
SC 11
1%
OR 10
1%
AZ 9
1%
ME 7
1%
WV 7
1%
NH 7
1%
ID 6
1%
RI 5
1%
WY 5
1%
NE 5
1%
AK 5
1%
HI 5
1%