girl's name
Amber
AM-bər
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 424,988
the United States
#521
2025 births
Amber is a girl's name of Arabic origin meaning "ambergris." The word originally named a waxy substance from whales, and only later transferred to fossilised tree resin — so the gem took its name by mistake.
- Amber is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1986, when 17,008 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,745 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Amber over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Amber is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 46 |
| 1890s | 131 |
| 1900s | 170 |
| 1910s | 327 |
| 1920s | 304 |
| 1930s | 192 |
| 1940s | 537 |
| 1950s | 1,255 |
| 1960s | 5,472 |
| 1970s | 47,220 |
| 1980s | 154,477 |
| 1990s | 115,825 |
| 2000s | 36,287 |
| 2010s | 10,023 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,402 |
What Amber means
Amber means the fossilised resin, and the golden color it gives. Its Arabic source anbar meant ambergris, a completely different substance, and the two were confused in medieval Europe.
Where Amber comes from
Amber comes from the Arabic anbar, meaning ambergris — the waxy substance produced by sperm whales and prized in perfumery. Medieval Latin took it as ambar and applied it to both ambergris and fossilised tree resin, which are unrelated in every way except that both wash up on beaches. The resin sense won in English, and the whale product kept the fuller name ambergris, gray amber. The name's popularity dates from Kathleen Winsor's 1944 novel Forever Amber, banned in fourteen American states and consequently a bestseller.
Amber in use
Our data shows Amber falling, peaking in 1986, at 165 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. It is unrelated to Ember despite the constant pairing — Ember is Old English for a coal, and the two names share no root at all.
How popular is Amber?
In 2025, Amber was given to 302 babies in England and Wales, ranking #165 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Amber is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Amber
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Amber also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Amber over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Amber in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Amber
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Amber — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Amber
What does the name Amber mean?
Amber is the fossilised tree resin, from the Arabic anbar — which originally meant ambergris, a whale product.
Are Amber and Ember related?
No. Ember is Old English for a glowing coal. The two names share no root despite constantly being grouped.
Why does amber mean two things?
Medieval Latin applied the word to both ambergris and tree resin, which are unrelated except that both wash up on beaches.
How popular is the name Amber?
In 2025, Amber was given to 302 babies in England and Wales, ranking #165 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Amber a girl's or a boy's name?
Amber is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Amber?
Amber has 2 syllables.
When was Amber most popular?
Amber peaked in 1986, when 17,008 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Amber a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Amber currently ranks #91 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.