Taylor Unisex

Popularity: #370 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: TAY-lor //ˈteɪlər//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: tailor; French: to cut

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Taylor originates from the Old French word "tailleur," meaning "to cut," which itself derives from the Latin "taliare," meaning "to cut or to shear." This term referred to a tailor, a profession that became significant in medieval society. The name entered the English language after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, where it began as a surname for individuals who worked as tailors.

Over time, it transitioned from a surname to a given name, particularly in the 19th century, when occupational surnames became more common as first names in English-speaking cultures. Historically, the name Taylor has been borne by notable figures, including Taylor of Norwich, a 14th-century English saint, and various influential individuals in politics and the arts.

The name also appears in literary works, such as the writings of William Shakespeare, who used the term "tailor" in his plays, reflecting the profession's relevance in society. The name gained further recognition through figures like Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States, who served in the mid-19th century, thereby embedding the name within American history.

Culturally, the name Taylor has been associated with craftsmanship and skill, reflecting the importance of tailoring in historical contexts. It has also been linked to themes of creativity and artistry, as tailors often played a role in the fashion and design of clothing.

The name's adaptability has allowed it to endure through generations, and it has various diminutive forms, such as Tay, which have emerged in different contexts. Overall, Taylor encapsulates a rich history tied to profession, societal roles, and cultural significance.

Famous people named Taylor

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

We also feature individuals named Taylor 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.

Taylor Swift is a singer-songwriter best known for Fearless, 1989, and Folklore.

Taylor Lautner is an actor best known for the Twilight series, Sharkboy and Lavagirl, and Scream Queens.

Taylor Momsen is an actress and musician best known for Gossip Girl, The Grinch, and her band The Pretty Reckless.

Taylor Hicks is a singer and songwriter best known for winning American Idol and his album Taylor Hicks.

Taylor Sheridan is a screenwriter and director best known for Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Yellowstone.

Fictional characters named Taylor

The following list of fictional characters named Taylor 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.

Taylor is a fictional character from the TV series 13 Reasons Why. They are a student at Liberty High School and a key figure in the narrative surrounding the events leading to Hannah Baker's death.

Taylor is a fictional character from the video game series The Last of Us. He is a member of the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group fighting against the oppressive military regime in a post-apocalyptic world.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Taylor, 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 Taylor. 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 Taylor was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Taylor has ranked as high as #8 nationally, which occurred in 1993, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New York.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Taylor 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 Taylor 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 Taylor.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,170 398 772
2024 1,291 412 879
2023 1,681 486 1,195
2022 1,825 454 1,371
2021 1,976 431 1,545
2020 2,215 467 1,748
2019 2,513 465 2,048
2018 3,035 535 2,500
2017 3,282 577 2,705
2016 3,927 646 3,281
2015 4,414 658 3,756
2014 4,518 700 3,818
2013 4,970 825 4,145
2012 5,760 887 4,873
2011 6,096 901 5,195
2010 6,856 956 5,900
2009 8,683 1,093 7,590
2008 9,712 1,368 8,344
2007 9,397 1,432 7,965
2006 10,196 1,630 8,566
2005 10,252 1,576 8,676
2004 10,916 1,613 9,303
2003 12,143 1,829 10,314
2002 13,432 1,964 11,468
2001 16,002 2,309 13,693
2000 17,934 2,854 15,080
1999 19,977 3,071 16,906
1998 22,157 3,581 18,576
1997 23,837 4,333 19,504
1996 23,953 4,798 19,155
1995 25,947 5,521 20,426
1994 27,360 6,626 20,734
1993 28,958 7,688 21,270
1992 23,193 8,239 14,954
1991 18,225 7,972 10,253
1990 13,841 6,579 7,262
1989 8,928 4,859 4,069
1988 6,293 3,492 2,801
1987 4,138 2,433 1,705
1986 3,248 2,033 1,215
1985 2,846 1,794 1,052
1984 2,284 1,416 868
1983 1,741 1,055 686
1982 1,552 948 604
1981 1,162 774 388
1980 851 616 235
1979 597 448 149
1978 465 342 123
1977 441 319 122
1976 308 240 68
1975 219 182 37
1974 220 181 39
1973 164 137 27
1972 148 128 20
1971 164 142 22
1970 138 119 19
1969 134 116 18
1968 142 133 9
1967 94 80 14
1966 99 88 11
1965 81 81 0
1964 101 87 14
1963 96 91 5
1962 93 87 6
1961 112 105 7
1960 103 93 10
1959 103 103 0
1958 102 96 6
1957 95 87 8
1956 84 78 6
1955 78 78 0
1954 88 83 5
1953 89 89 0
1952 102 102 0
1951 74 67 7
1950 83 83 0
1949 97 97 0
1948 86 86 0
1947 84 84 0
1946 78 78 0
1945 72 72 0
1944 60 60 0
1943 84 84 0
1942 67 67 0
1941 71 71 0
1940 73 73 0
1939 65 65 0
1938 75 75 0
1937 85 85 0
1936 64 64 0
1935 86 86 0
1934 72 72 0
1933 71 71 0
1932 79 79 0
1931 55 55 0
1930 78 78 0
1929 91 91 0
1928 90 90 0
1927 84 84 0
1926 96 96 0
1925 87 87 0
1924 124 124 0
1923 94 94 0
1922 93 93 0
1921 109 109 0
1920 108 108 0
1919 119 119 0
1918 137 137 0
1917 119 119 0
1916 101 101 0
1915 107 107 0
1914 89 89 0
1913 73 73 0
1912 57 57 0
1911 45 45 0
1910 35 35 0
1909 35 35 0
1908 22 22 0
1907 25 25 0
1906 26 26 0
1905 30 30 0
1904 31 31 0
1903 20 20 0
1902 20 20 0
1901 25 25 0
1900 48 48 0
1899 27 27 0
1898 26 26 0
1897 32 32 0
1896 32 32 0
1895 26 26 0
1894 22 22 0
1893 26 26 0
1892 29 29 0
1891 22 22 0
1890 22 22 0
1889 28 28 0
1888 29 29 0
1887 20 20 0
1886 22 22 0
1885 26 26 0
1884 21 21 0
1883 27 27 0
1882 27 27 0
1881 39 39 0
1880 37 37 0

Top States for Taylor (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 136
11%
CA 119
10%
FL 81
7%
GA 69
6%
NY 54
4%
NC 53
4%
PA 52
4%
MO 41
3%
MS 41
3%
VA 41
3%
TN 40
3%
WA 32
3%
OH 32
3%
MI 31
3%
AL 30
2%
MA 28
2%
IL 27
2%
WI 25
2%
NJ 25
2%
LA 23
2%
CO 23
2%
IN 22
2%
SC 20
2%
MN 20
2%
KY 20
2%
AZ 18
1%
MD 16
1%
OR 15
1%
ID 14
1%
KS 14
1%
AR 12
1%
OK 10
1%
IA 9
1%
UT 9
1%
CT 6
0%
NH 5
0%