girl's name
Fern
FURN
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 42,086
Scotland
#287
2024 births
Fern seed was believed to make you invisible, and Shakespeare has a character say so — ferns produce spores rather than visible seeds, so the seed itself was thought to be unseeable. Shakespeare has a character claim exactly that in Henry IV.
- Fern is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 1,356 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 17,825 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Fern 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 | 450 |
| 1890s | 1,957 |
| 1900s | 2,848 |
| 1910s | 9,386 |
| 1920s | 10,414 |
| 1930s | 4,650 |
| 1940s | 2,833 |
| 1950s | 2,234 |
| 1960s | 990 |
| 1970s | 304 |
| 1980s | 174 |
| 1990s | 97 |
| 2000s | 167 |
| 2010s | 717 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 974 |
What Fern means
Fern means the plant. The Old English names it directly, so any sense of shade or greenness belongs to the fern rather than describing the person.
Where Fern comes from
Fern is the Old English fearn, from a root meaning feather, for the shape of the fronds — the same root as the Sanskrit parna, a wing or leaf. Because ferns reproduce by spores and show no visible seed, folklore held that fern seed existed but could not be seen, and that carrying it conferred invisibility. Shakespeare has Gadshill say exactly that in Henry IV: we have the receipt of fern-seed, we walk invisible.
Fern in use
Fern peaked in the United States in 1918, when 1,356 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 287th in Scotland on 13 births, 302nd in England and Wales on 149, 476th in Northern Ireland, 590th in Ireland on 6 and 1221st in the United States on 186, across 42,086 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track. Britain and Ireland lead it now, not America.
How popular is Fern?
In 2025, Fern was given to 186 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Fern 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 Fern
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Fern also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Fern over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Fern 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 Fern
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Fern — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Fern
What does the name Fern mean?
The plant — the Old English fearn, from a root meaning feather.
Did people think fern seed made you invisible?
Yes. Ferns show no visible seed, so the seed was thought to be unseeable itself.
Is that in Shakespeare?
Henry IV — we have the receipt of fern-seed, we walk invisible.
Is Fern coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, led by Scotland and England rather than America.
How popular is the name Fern?
In 2025, Fern was given to 186 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Fern a girl's or a boy's name?
Fern is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Fern?
Fern has 1 syllable.
When was Fern most popular?
Fern peaked in 1918, when 1,356 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Fern a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Fern currently ranks #287 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.