Bear
Meaningbear · English
- US rank
- #853
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #760 in 2022
286 babies were named Bear in the US in 2025. It has climbed 46 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1975–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Bear you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Bear
Bear McCreary
American composer
Choose Bear and your child shares a first name with Bear McCreary, an American composer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Bear, like who?” Bear McCreary's Wikipedia article is available in 29 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Bear McCreary on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Official GDC, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 5,974 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Bear, 286 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Bear would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryBear first shows up in US birth records in 1975, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 50 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2022, when it reached #760.
- Then vs nowBear is 54× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 322,581 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 5,974.
- TrendBear has climbed 46 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #853. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedBear is most popular in Utah, where it ranks #378, followed by Oregon (#438) and Colorado (#468). It's in the top 1,000 in 16 states.
- MeaningIn English, Bear means “bear”. Our records link it to American and German roots.
About the name Bear
Bear is a boy name of American and German origin meaning “bear”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with B and ending in “-ear”. US birth records list Bear for boys from 1975 to 2025, in 29 of those 51 years. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked #760 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #853, with 286 babies.
Origin:American namesGerman names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.8 | 1,315,789 boys |
| 1980s | 0.3 | 3,571,429 boys |
| 1990s | 0.6 | 1,724,138 boys |
| 2000s | 8.6 | 116,959 boys |
| 2010s | 75 | 13,270 boys |
| 2020s | 169 | 5,900 boys |
More American boy names
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: Maverick · independent, unbranded
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Unisex name: Jace · healer
- Boy name: Jaxon · son of Jack
- Boy name: Milo · possibly gracious
- Boy name: Bryson · son of Brice
- Boy name: Louis · famous warrior
Questions about the name Bear
What does the name Bear mean?
Bear means “bear” in English.
What is the origin of the name Bear?
Bear has American, German roots in our records. Other American names include Henry, Maverick, Kai.
Is Bear a boy or girl name?
Bear is a boy name.
How popular is the name Bear?
Bear ranked #853 for US boys in 2025, given to 286 babies. Its best year was 2022 (#760).