Archer Name Meaning

Archer is a classic boy’s name with a long and rich history, first appearing in the English language during the Middle Ages. The name has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon word “æren”, meaning “bowman”, and is thus associated with the skillful art of archery.

Origins of the Name Archer

The name Archer is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “æren”, meaning “bowman”. The name thus evokes images of a skilled archer, ready to take aim and shoot with precision. This connection to archery has made Archer a popular choice for parents in recent years, as it is a name with a strong, masculine connotation.

The name Archer is also connected to the Latin word “arcere”, meaning “to defend”. This meaning implies that the name is associated with protection, strength, and courage. This can be seen in many of the figures in popular culture who bear the name, such as the title character from the hit TV show “Archer” and the Marvel comics character, Hawkeye.

Popularity of the Name Archer

The name Archer has seen a steady increase in popularity over the last few decades, particularly in the United States. The name first entered the top 1000 list of most popular baby names in the US in 2006 and has been climbing ever since. In 2019, it was the 144th most popular name for boys in the US, and it is currently ranked as the 94th most popular name in England.

Final Thoughts on the Name Archer

Archer is a strong and timeless name with a rich history and meaning. Its connection to archery and defending makes it a popular choice for parents looking for a name with a masculine connotation. The name has seen a steady rise in popularity over the years, and it is now one of the most popular boy’s names in both the US and the UK.

Infographic of Archer name meaning, which is An English occupational name, Archer means bowman.
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Archer Name Popularity

How popular is the name Archer? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 0 0%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 — 0 0%
1915 — 0 0%
1916 1,147 9 0.0009%
1917 — 0 0%
1918 1,490 5 0.0005%
1919 1,265 7 0.0007%
1920 1,206 11 0.001%
1921 1,033 17 0.0015%
1922 — 0 0%
1923 — 0 0%
1924 1,389 7 0.0006%
1925 1,515 5 0.0004%
1926 1,275 8 0.0007%
1927 — 0 0%
1928 1,324 7 0.0007%
1929 — 0 0%
1930 1,486 5 0.0005%
1931 — 0 0%
1932 — 0 0%
1933 — 0 0%
1934 1,338 6 0.0006%
1935 — 0 0%
1936 1,216 7 0.0007%
1937 — 0 0%
1938 — 0 0%
1939 — 0 0%
1940 — 0 0%
1941 — 0 0%
1942 1,287 6 0.0005%
1943 1,488 5 0.0004%
1944 — 0 0%
1945 — 0 0%
1946 — 0 0%
1947 — 0 0%
1948 — 0 0%
1949 — 0 0%
1950 — 0 0%
1951 1,517 5 0.0003%
1952 — 0 0%
1953 — 0 0%
1954 — 0 0%
1955 — 0 0%
1956 — 0 0%
1957 — 0 0%
1958 — 0 0%
1959 — 0 0%
1960 — 0 0%
1961 1,428 6 0.0003%
1962 — 0 0%
1963 — 0 0%
1964 — 0 0%
1965 — 0 0%
1966 — 0 0%
1967 — 0 0%
1968 — 0 0%
1969 — 0 0%
1970 — 0 0%
1971 — 0 0%
1972 — 0 0%
1973 — 0 0%
1974 — 0 0%
1975 — 0 0%
1976 — 0 0%
1977 — 0 0%
1978 — 0 0%
1979 — 0 0%
1980 — 0 0%
1981 — 0 0%
1982 — 0 0%
1983 — 0 0%
1984 — 0 0%
1985 — 0 0%
1986 — 0 0%
1987 — 0 0%
1988 — 0 0%
1989 — 0 0%
1990 — 0 0%
1991 — 0 0%
1992 — 0 0%
1993 — 0 0%
1994 — 0 0%
1995 — 0 0%
1996 — 0 0%
1997 — 0 0%
1998 — 0 0%
1999 2,450 6 0.0004%
2000 2,699 5 0.0003%
2001 — 0 0%
2002 2,237 11 0.0007%
2003 2,043 15 0.001%
2004 1,737 28 0.0018%
2005 1,439 48 0.0031%
2006 1,720 33 0.0021%
2007 1,253 82 0.0052%
2008 1,034 125 0.0081%
2009 685 306 0.0205%
2010 561 407 0.0282%
2011 448 565 0.0397%
2012 403 683 0.0479%
2013 350 862 0.0605%
2014 293 1,163 0.0798%
2015 285 1,256 0.0863%
2016 260 1,362 0.0945%
2017 253 1,437 0.103%
2018 237 1,569 0.1142%
2019 205 1,848 0.1365%
2020 169 2,225 0.1748%
2021 138 2,704 0.2212%
2022 134 2,793 0.2117%

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Connecticut (CT)

District of Columbia (DC)

Delaware (DE)

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Hawaii (HI)

Iowa (IA)

Idaho (ID)

Illinois (IL)

Indiana (IN)

Kansas (KS)

Kentucky (KY)

Louisiana (LA)

Massachusetts (MA)

Maryland (MD)

Maine (ME)

Michigan (MI)

Minnesota (MN)

Missouri (MO)

Mississippi (MS)

Montana (MT)

North Carolina (NC)

North Dakota (ND)

Nebraska (NE)

New Hampshire (NH)

New Jersey (NJ)

New Mexico (NM)

Nevada (NV)

New York (NY)

Ohio (OH)

Oklahoma (OK)

Oregon (OR)

Pennsylvania (PA)

Rhode Island (RI)

South Carolina (SC)

South Dakota (SD)

Tennessee (TN)

Texas (TX)

Utah (UT)

Virginia (VA)

Vermont (VT)

Washington (WA)

Wisconsin (WI)

West Virginia (WV)

Wyoming (WY)

Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Archer

If you like Archer, you’ll love these other names like Archer.

What names sound like Archer?

If you like how Archer sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Archer.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Archard

Holy, powerful

German

Archerd

Holy, powerful

German

What names are similar to Archer?

Find a name that’s like Archer, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Ancher

Stability

English

Archibald

Genuine, bold, brave

German

Arther

Celtic

Lists With Archer

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Archer.

Siblings of Archer

Mamas with kids named Archer also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Adelin

11 Comments

  1. We named our second Archer with plans to use the nickname Archie. I like the full name Archer better than Archibald, and I’ve always thought the nickname Archie is cute. Our older son is Theodore with nickname Teddy.

    Reply

    • How weird. We’ve got a Theodore at home and really love the name Archer as a second.

      Reply

  2. I’m a transgender male, yeah? I remember scrolling through random gender-neutral names, bored out of my mind and convinced I’d find nothing. I ended up finding “Archie” and looking more into it. I wasn’t a huge fan of Archibald, too many syllables. (I know, it’s only one more than Archer. But I have a stutter so it’s one more syllable than I wanted to deal with on a regular basis.)

    Eventually, I stumbled across “Archer.” I dunno, something just clicked. I remember staring into the mirror, “My name is Archer (last name), my pronouns are he/they.” That’s what I told myself, over and over for at least 10 minutes.

    It just felt right.

    I know this is a website for expecting parents, but I love this name and wanted to share.

    Reply

  3. We named our third son Archer. It fits perfectly. He is also born a Sagittarius which makes it even more perfectly fitting as the archer. We went with Archer Kai.
    Meaning “bowman of the Sea” we live on the coast and the ocean is very much part of our daily lives.. at 3 he already surfs! ?

    Reply

  4. Dad and I couldn’t agree on names AT ALL. When family was visiting, one of them was going down a list of boy names, and she casually said Archer. It was the first one that Dad and I agreed with. After that, I tried to entertain other names, but Dad shut them down FAST. He’s our first boy, so I let Dad have it… this time. 😉

    His current nicknames are Aj and Archie. He’s 2 months and already expressive with a lot of personality!

    Reply

  5. Our other sons name is Oliver, I like how the two sounded together, and I love the nickname Archie (Oliver is Ollie) but didn’t want the full Archibald.

    I do worry sometimes it’s a little trendy or he will be in a classroom full of Archers but it just feels right!

    Reply

  6. My husband and I attempted to make a list of gender neutral names and it wasn’t going well. We didn’t love any of the names so started including boy and girl names (since we didn’t know sex of baby until birth). We both had dreams of our baby boy. He came to me often in my dreams, but no name yet. We had a couple names at the top of the list that we really liked for a boy. Our girl list was almost empty. The day Archer was born, the first glimpse I had of him (before even officially seeing he was indeed a boy), I heard a quiet whisper inside me say “Archer”. It felt like a vibration inside mevlike when you hear your baby’s heart with fetal stethoscope for the first time. I stayed quiet about it for almost 24 hours as the name Archer was not one my husband nor I really liked at all. It was a name that had come up months prior and we decided we didn’t like it. Finally my husband asked, “So, now that we’ve met him, any names come to you?” I replied “Yes. No. Not really. I don’t know. You?” My husband answered “Yes. When I first saw him I wanted to call out to him like I would an old friend I hadn’t seen in years.” I asked “What name did you want to call out to him?” He replied “Archer.” I grabbed his hand and said “Stop!” And then told him the experience I had. Archer Oren is our son’s name and we learn to just wait until baby arrives as baby is wiser than any of us, but we must listen to hear their voice.

    Reply

  7. We have a dear friend named Archer (a woman), and always thought it was a great name–different without being too “weird,” and cool for a girl or boy. Several years ago, we asked what she would think if we named an eventual baby Archer, and she was so excited! It stayed on our list, and we just named our son Archer!

    Reply

  8. I found it looking up “hippie” names. I like that it kinda pays homage to our love of the outdoors and hunting. I didn’t love the nickname Archie at first but I do now!

    Reply

  9. It’s a strong male name that’s different but not too unusual. I love the visual it gives when i think of it.

    Reply

  10. It’s short and sweet. Archers are strong and thoughtful.

    Reply

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