Given name & surname · also English, Germanic
Warren
“from the fortress; from the enclosure”·“a gamekeeper”
Warren is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “from the fortress; from the enclosure” and “a gamekeeper”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “from the fortress; from the enclosure” and “a gamekeeper”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with English and Germanic naming traditions.
How it developed
From Medieval Latin Warinna, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer- (“water, rain, flow”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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
Warren through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 185,502
- 184,518 boys · 984 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 7,826 babies
- 2025
- 1,493
- #240 for boys · #5,713 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +27%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,471 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 240 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 26.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7,798 in 1921. It also appeared in 22 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (132). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 87,424 as a first name in 2020; 145,946 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.
Warren’s family of names
In English usage, Warren has a diminutive in Wazza. Warren has a related form in Waran. Warren has a related form in Warane.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Warren
- Warren G. Hardingpresident of the United States from 1921 to 19231865–1923
- Warren BuffettAmerican investor, entrepreneur and businessmanborn 1930
- Warren ChristopherU.S. Secretary of State (1925-2011)
- Warren Zaïre-EmeryFrench footballer (born 2006)
- Warren HastingsGovernor-General of Bengal, 1773–17851732–1818
- Warren OatesAmerican actor (1928–1982)
- Warren E. Burgerchief justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986 (1907–1995)
- Warren GAmerican rapper, record producer and disc jockeyborn 1970
- Warren Farrellauthor, spokesperson, expert witness, political candidateborn 1943
Characters named Warren: Warren Mears (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Warren, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Warner
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98% boys · 2% girls
Harvey
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Harlan
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Wilmer
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Arnold
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Walter
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Booker
“one who binds books; a scribe”
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Wiley
“of the willows” · “one who is crafty; from the meadow by the water”
88% boys · 12% girls