Given name & surname
Archer
“a skilled bowman”
Archer is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “a skilled bowman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “a skilled bowman.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Archer through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 31,803
- 31,391 boys · 412 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 3,654 babies
- 2025
- 3,654
- #98 for boys · #4,890 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +74%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 3,627 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 98 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 75.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 27 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (270). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,225 as a first name in 2020; 33,513 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Archer’s family of names
Archer has a related form in Archar. Archer has a related form in Archere. Archer has a related form in Archor.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Archer
- Archer MartinBritish chemist (1910–2002)
- Archer Milton Huntingtonphilanthropist and art patron1870–1955
- Archer BloodAmerican diplomat (1923–2004)
- Archer MacleanBritish video game programmer (1962–2022)
- Archer TaylorAmerican folklorist (1890–1973)
- Archer MacMackinDirector, producer, screenwriter (1888-1961)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Archer, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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