Bert
Boy name · English · German · Scandinavian
Meaningbright · English
- US rank
- #10,695
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #47 in 1880
6 babies were named Bert in the US in 2025. It has dropped 2,628 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 girls, 1883–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Bert you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Bert
Bert Sakmann
German biologist and physician (1991 Nobel Prize)
Choose Bert and your child shares a first name with Bert Sakmann, a German biologist and physician. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Bert, like who?” Bert Sakmann's Wikipedia article is available in 51 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Bert Sakmann on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Yuriy Kolodin at English Wikipedia., Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 285,714 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Bert, 6 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Bert would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryBert has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Berts, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1880, when it ranked #47. Today it's #10,695, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowBert was 3.1× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 93,458 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 285,714.
- TrendBert has slipped 2,628 places over the last five years and now sits at #10,695. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningIn English, Bert means “bright”. Our records link it to English, German and Scandinavian roots.
About the name Bert
Bert is a boy name of English, German and Scandinavian origin meaning “bright”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with B and ending in “-ert”. US birth records list Bert for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked #47 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #10,695, with 6 babies.
Origin:English namesGerman namesScandinavian names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 26 | 38,002 girls |
| 1890s | 24 | 42,176 girls |
| 1900s | 38 | 26,062 girls |
| 1910s | 22 | 45,767 girls |
| 1920s | 11 | 93,371 girls |
| 1930s | 7.0 | 142,045 girls |
| 1940s | 3.5 | 283,286 girls |
| 1950s | 2.5 | 400,000 girls |
| 1960s | 2.5 | 400,000 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,568 | 389 boys |
| 1890s | 1,465 | 683 boys |
| 1900s | 939 | 1,065 boys |
| 1910s | 673 | 1,487 boys |
| 1920s | 523 | 1,910 boys |
| 1930s | 404 | 2,478 boys |
| 1940s | 261 | 3,829 boys |
| 1950s | 186 | 5,384 boys |
| 1960s | 150 | 6,654 boys |
| 1970s | 99 | 10,136 boys |
| 1980s | 41 | 24,337 boys |
| 1990s | 16 | 61,050 boys |
| 2000s | 7.5 | 133,869 boys |
| 2010s | 6.5 | 153,139 boys |
| 2020s | 4.9 | 203,390 boys |
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: William · resolute protector
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
Questions about the name Bert
What does the name Bert mean?
Bert means “bright” in English.
What is the origin of the name Bert?
Bert has English, German, Scandinavian roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is Bert a boy or girl name?
Bert is a boy name.
How popular is the name Bert?
Bert ranked #10,695 for US boys in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1880 (#47).