boy's name
Archie
AR-chee
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 127,367
the United States
#302
2025 births
Archie is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "genuine and bold." It is a short form of Archibald, from the elements ercan, genuine or precious, and bald, bold or brave, and is now given as a full name in its own right.
- Archie is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2013, when 3,265 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 214 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Archie over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,249 |
| 2000s | 16,262 |
| 2010s | 28,923 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,996 |
What Archie means
Archie means truly bold, or genuinely brave. The first element carries the sense of authentic or precious, and the second means bold — so the name is not merely brave but sincerely so.
Where Archie comes from
Archie comes from Archibald, itself from the Germanic Ercanbald, combining ercan, genuine, excellent or precious, with bald, bold. The Normans carried it to Britain, where it took particularly strong root in Scotland — it became a hereditary name among the Campbells and Douglases, and in Scots it was long treated as an equivalent of Gillespie. The Arch- opening has nothing to do with the Greek arkhos, chief, despite the resemblance, though the coincidence has helped the name sound authoritative.
Archie in use
Our data marks Archie as reviving: it peaked in 2013, dropped away for most of the century, and returned strongly enough to sit at 11 in England and Wales. The 2019 birth of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor came well after the British revival was already established.
How popular is Archie?
In 2025, Archie was given to 2,465 babies in England and Wales, ranking #11 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Archie is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Archie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Archie also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Archie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Archie
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.
Archie 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 Archie
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Archie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Archie
What does the name Archie mean?
Archie means "genuine and bold," from the Germanic ercan, genuine, and bald, bold.
Is Archie short for Archibald?
It originated that way, but Archie is now overwhelmingly registered as a name in its own right.
Is Archie a Scottish name?
The Germanic root is not Scottish, but Archibald became strongly associated with Scotland, where it was a hereditary name in several major families.
How popular is the name Archie?
In 2025, Archie was given to 2,465 babies in England and Wales, ranking #11 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Archie a girl's or a boy's name?
Archie is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Archie?
Archie has 2 syllables.
When was Archie most popular?
Archie peaked in 2013, when 3,265 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Archie?
Archie is usually shortened to Arch.
Is Archie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Archie currently ranks #10 in England and Wales. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.