Given name & surname
Booker
“one who binds books; a scribe”
Booker is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “one who binds books; a scribe.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “one who binds books; a scribe.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Booker through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 12,235
- 12,230 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 294 babies
- 2025
- 180
- #1,160 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +104%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 180 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,160 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 103.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 294 in 1916. In 2025, Arizona had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,415 as a first name in 2020; 35,648 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.
Booker’s family of names
Booker has a related form in Bookar. Booker has a related form in Bookir. Booker has a related form in Bookor.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Booker
- Booker T. WashingtonAfrican-American educator, author, orator, and advisor (1856-1915)
- Booker TAmerican professional wrestlerborn 1965
- Booker T. JonesAmerican musicianborn 1944
- Bukka WhiteAmerican singer-songwriter1909–1977
- Booker LittleAmerican jazz musician (1938–1961)
- Booker ErvinAmerican saxophonist (1930–1970)
- Booker BradshawAmerican actor1940–2003
- Booker WoodfoxAmerican basketball player (born 1986)
- Booker PittmanAmerican musician1909–1969
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Booker, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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