Homer

Homer: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “hostage; pledge”
Origin: Greek
Say it: HOH-mer · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From the Greek name Homeros, traditionally interpreted as 'hostage' or 'pledge'. It is best known from the ancient poet Homer.

Greek names English names Classic names Literary names

How popular is Homer?

20247.8 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Homer in 202426

2024 rank#4,055 boys

Peak year1880

Total US babies since 188061,258

Homer is steady now but far below its 1880 peak.

Names like Homer

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Theodoregift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek
Christopherbearer of Christ · Greek
Andrewmanly, brave · Greek
Theogod · Greek
Georgefarmer, earth-worker · Greek

Homer questions

What does the name Homer mean?

Homer means "hostage; pledge". It comes from Greek. From the Greek name Homeros, traditionally interpreted as 'hostage' or 'pledge'. It is best known from the ancient poet Homer.

Is Homer a boy or girl name?

Homer is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Homer?

26 US babies were named Homer in 2024. Its peak year was 1880.

How do you pronounce Homer?

Homer is usually pronounced HOH-mer.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.