boy's name
Archer
AR-cher
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 38,149
the United States
#98
2025 births
Archer is a boy's name of English origin meaning "bowman." It began as an occupational surname for a soldier or hunter who used a bow — a trade of real military consequence in medieval England, where the longbow decided battles.
- Archer is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 3,654 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 907 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Archer over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. 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 | 61 |
| 1890s | 10 |
| 1900s | 25 |
| 1910s | 192 |
| 1920s | 221 |
| 1930s | 121 |
| 1940s | 134 |
| 1950s | 121 |
| 1960s | 83 |
| 1970s | 49 |
| 1980s | 17 |
| 1990s | 127 |
| 2000s | 1,213 |
| 2010s | 11,682 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 17,747 |
What Archer means
Archer means one who shoots with a bow, from the Old French archier and ultimately the Latin arcus, a bow. It named a specific and highly trained military role rather than anyone who happened to own a bow.
Where Archer comes from
Archer comes through Old French archier from the Latin arcus, meaning bow or arch — the same root behind arch and arc. English archers were not casual bowmen: the longbow required years of training, and the Statute of Winchester and later laws obliged men to practice at the butts on Sundays. Their effect at Crécy in 1346 and Agincourt in 1415 made them the decisive arm of the English medieval army. The surname is recorded from the twelfth century, and its use as a given name is modern, part of the wave of occupational surnames that also brought Mason, Cooper and Carter into first-name use.
Archer in use
English law once required men to practice archery on Sundays — the longbow was too important to leave to enthusiasm.
How popular is Archer?
In 2025, Archer was given to 3,654 babies in the United States, ranking #98 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Archer is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Archer
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Archer also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Archer over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Archer
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Archer 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.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Archie
Sibling names for Archer
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Archer — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Archer
What does the name Archer mean?
Archer means "bowman," from the Old French archier and the Latin arcus, a bow.
Was Archer originally a surname?
Yes, an English occupational surname recorded from the twelfth century.
Is Archie short for Archer?
It works as one, though Archie is historically a short form of Archibald, an unrelated Germanic name.
How popular is the name Archer?
In 2025, Archer was given to 3,654 babies in the United States, ranking #98 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Archer a girl's or a boy's name?
Archer is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Archer?
Archer has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Archer?
Archer is usually shortened to Arch and Archie.
Is Archer a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Archer currently ranks #98 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.