Given name & surname
Bear
Bear is a masculine given name with more than one origin.
Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Bear isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1975. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Bear through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,356
- 3,356 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 332 babies
- 2025
- 286
- #853 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +39%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 286 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 853 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 38.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (27). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,408 as a first name in 2020; 8,994 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.
Bear’s family of names
In English usage, Bear as a surname shares a linguistic root with the German form Bär. In English usage, Bear has a related form in BAER. In English usage, Bear has a related form in BAHR.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Bear has relatives in 3 languages.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Bear
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Bear, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Beckett
“from the small brook”
95% boys · 5% girls
Bodhi
Bodhi is a masculine given name from Sanskrit.
96% boys · 4% girls
Burech
>99% boys
Jasir
“one who is fearless”
>99% boys
Uzair
>99% boys
Neithan
>99% boys
Cairo
“from the city in Egypt” · “one who is victorious; from the capital of Egypt”
95% boys · 5% girls
Elyan
“a spirited man” · “The Lord answers our prayers”
96% boys · 4% girls