Bear is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Bear means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Bear across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Bear has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Bear is a boy name of English origin meaning “the animal bear”. An English nature name symbolizing strength.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 3,356 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,039 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 54 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 5 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 24 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Bear per year, United States (1975 to 2025). United States peaked in 2022 (332/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2022 (126/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2020 (10/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2022 (5/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2021 (5/yr).
Bear is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2022, when it ranked #1,590 nationally (given to 468 babies that year).
Brea · Berry · Bari · Burr · Bera · Bary · Per · Bray
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