Spencer
Pronounced S P EH1 N S ER0 (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1998
- 145 years in use
- 1 spelling
How popular is Spencer?
Spencer is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 131,831 children — the 269th most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 40% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1998, when 4,713 children were given it.
Spenser is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Spencer and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Spenser
Characteristics
- Alliterative
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- S P EH1 N S ER0
- Stress pattern:
- 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Spencer
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Spencer
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Spencer?
- Spencer ranks 269th among boys' names in US records, with 131,831 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 11,070.
- Is Spencer a unisex name?
- No. Spencer is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Spencer most popular?
- 1998, when 4,713 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- How else is Spencer spelled?
- Spenser. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.