unisex name · in the US
Parker
PAR-ker (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 182,165
the United States
#102
2025 births
Parker is a name of English origin meaning "park keeper." It began as an occupational surname for the officer who managed a medieval hunting park — an enclosed area of land held under royal license, not a public green space.
- Parker is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2014, when 7,126 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 551 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Parker Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 112 |
| 1890s | 134 |
| 1900s | 143 |
| 1910s | 546 |
| 1920s | 728 |
| 1930s | 559 |
| 1940s | 578 |
| 1950s | 568 |
| 1960s | 524 |
| 1970s | 650 |
| 1980s | 2,908 |
| 1990s | 17,180 |
| 2000s | 39,897 |
| 2010s | 62,555 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 36,754 |
What Parker Means
Parker means one who keeps a park. The medieval park was a private enclosure for keeping deer, requiring a royal license to create, so a parker held a position of real responsibility rather than doing groundskeeping.
Where Parker Comes From
Parker comes from the Middle English parkere, from park, ultimately from a Frankish word for an enclosure. A medieval park was nothing like a modern one: it was a fenced or ditched preserve for deer, created only by royal license — a license to empark — and the parker who ran it managed the boundary, the herd, and the poaching problem. It was a salaried post of some standing. The surname is recorded in England from the twelfth century, and its move to a given name is modern and American, part of the same wave as Hudson, Carter and Mason. Parker is given to both boys and girls.
Parker in Use
A medieval park was a licensed deer enclosure, and the parker who ran it held a salaried position of real authority.
How Popular Is Parker?
In 2025, Parker was given to 6,013 babies in the United States, ranking #102 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Parker 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 Parker
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Parker Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Parker over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Parker is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 35% girls · 60,497 babies
- Canada Both 25% girls · 5,006 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 7% girls · 4,205 babies
- Scotland Boys' 9% girls · 504 babies
- Northern Ireland Boys' 3% girls · 193 babies
- Ireland Boys' 0% girls · 186 babies
How to Say Parker
- English PAR-ker /ˈpɑːrkər/
1 nickname for Parker
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.
Sibling Names for Parker
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Parker — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Parker
What does the name Parker mean?
Parker means "park keeper," from the medieval occupational term.
What did a parker do?
Managed a licensed deer park — its boundaries, its herd and its poachers. A salaried post of real standing.
Is Parker a boy's or a girl's name?
Both, though it is given more often to boys.
How popular is the name Parker?
In 2025, Parker was given to 6,013 babies in the United States, ranking #102 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Parker?
Parker has 2 syllables.
When was Parker most popular?
Parker peaked in 2014, when 7,126 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Parker?
Parker is usually shortened to Park.
Is Parker a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Parker currently ranks #102 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.