Fern is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Fern means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Fern across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Fern has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Fern is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “fern plant”. From the name of the green plant.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 38,195 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,934 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 558 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 10 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 68 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 Fern per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (1,356/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (170/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (37/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2025 (6/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2023 (4/yr).
Fern has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #284 nationally (given to 1,356 babies that year).
Verna · Ferne · Vern · Verne · Vernie · Fran · Verona · Faron
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