Given name & surname
Ranger
“the guardian of the forest”
Ranger is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “the guardian of the forest.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “the guardian of the forest.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1958. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ranger through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,518
- 1,518 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 126 babies
- 2025
- 108
- #1,582 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +37%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 108 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,582 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 37.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (18). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 946 as a first name in 2020; 2,427 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.
Ranger’s family of names
Ranger has a related form in Raenger. Ranger has a related form in Rainger. Ranger has a related form in Raynger.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Ranger, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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