Bud
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- BUD
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #6,799 for boys
Bud is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “friend, pal”. In 2025 it ranked 6,799th for boys in the US (12 babies).
What does Bud mean?
English: American nickname from buddy
“friend, pal”
Began as an American nickname from buddy, itself probably a childish form of brother.
Is Bud a girl's or a boy's name?
Bud is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 12 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Bud in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #6,799among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 12about 1 in 140,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 12 boys in the US were named Bud, making it the 6,799th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 8,734th. Its busiest year was 1928, with 215 boys.
Half of all the boys named Bud in the US since 1880 were born between 1920 and 1954, the years shaded on the chart below.
Bud in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #6,799 |
| 2024 | 14 | #6,194 |
| 2023 | 13 | #6,512 |
| 2022 | 14 | #6,141 |
| 2021 | 5 | #12,141 |
| 2020 | 8 | #8,734 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 13 | #6,341 |
| 2017 | 11 | #7,091 |
| 2016 | 10 | #7,600 |
| 2015 | 8 | #8,739 |
| 2014 | 12 | #6,627 |
| 2013 | 7 | #9,650 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 6 | #10,801 |
| 2010 | 8 | #8,797 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 12 | #6,618 |
| 2006 | 13 | #6,090 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 9 | #7,238 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 10 | #6,438 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9,104 |
| 1999 | 7 | #7,867 |
| 1998 | 8 | #6,837 |
| 1997 | 11 | #5,282 |
| 1996 | 15 | #4,179 |
| 1995 | 11 | #5,118 |
| 1994 | 11 | #5,103 |
| 1993 | 22 | #3,036 |
| 1992 | 13 | #4,319 |
| 1991 | 20 | #3,099 |
| 1990 | 29 | #2,368 |
| 1989 | 33 | #2,100 |
| 1988 | 33 | #1,944 |
| 1987 | 34 | #1,861 |
| 1986 | 32 | #1,871 |
| 1985 | 37 | #1,671 |
| 1984 | 22 | #2,291 |
| 1983 | 46 | #1,374 |
| 1982 | 40 | #1,538 |
| 1981 | 43 | #1,455 |
| 1980 | 41 | #1,496 |
| 1979 | 33 | #1,711 |
| 1978 | 33 | #1,652 |
| 1977 | 28 | #1,823 |
| 1976 | 27 | #1,827 |
| 1975 | 37 | #1,455 |
| 1974 | 32 | #1,546 |
| 1973 | 31 | #1,548 |
| 1972 | 38 | #1,364 |
| 1971 | 42 | #1,289 |
| 1970 | 40 | #1,313 |
| 1969 | 41 | #1,231 |
| 1968 | 49 | #1,057 |
| 1967 | 45 | #1,102 |
| 1966 | 50 | #1,027 |
| 1965 | 73 | #859 |
| 1964 | 63 | #958 |
| 1963 | 70 | #890 |
| 1962 | 73 | #890 |
| 1961 | 94 | #784 |
| 1960 | 119 | #714 |
| 1959 | 142 | #643 |
| 1958 | 113 | #702 |
| 1957 | 129 | #670 |
| 1956 | 96 | #748 |
| 1955 | 121 | #662 |
| 1954 | 85 | #771 |
| 1953 | 100 | #713 |
| 1952 | 99 | #702 |
| 1951 | 93 | #718 |
| 1950 | 118 | #636 |
| 1949 | 127 | #605 |
| 1948 | 101 | #670 |
| 1947 | 106 | #668 |
| 1946 | 104 | #630 |
| 1945 | 82 | #664 |
| 1944 | 97 | #623 |
| 1943 | 88 | #681 |
| 1942 | 109 | #603 |
| 1941 | 83 | #671 |
| 1940 | 96 | #602 |
| 1939 | 96 | #587 |
| 1938 | 110 | #551 |
| 1937 | 130 | #504 |
| 1936 | 156 | #450 |
| 1935 | 153 | #458 |
| 1934 | 162 | #444 |
| 1933 | 166 | #426 |
| 1932 | 154 | #461 |
| 1931 | 208 | #390 |
| 1930 | 177 | #441 |
| 1929 | 180 | #440 |
| 1928 | 215 | #410 |
| 1927 | 205 | #424 |
| 1926 | 187 | #441 |
| 1925 | 176 | #455 |
| 1924 | 174 | #465 |
| 1923 | 189 | #443 |
| 1922 | 179 | #464 |
| 1921 | 190 | #448 |
| 1920 | 187 | #444 |
| 1919 | 169 | #450 |
| 1918 | 183 | #437 |
| 1917 | 176 | #428 |
| 1916 | 153 | #455 |
| 1915 | 130 | #488 |
| 1914 | 98 | #493 |
| 1913 | 89 | #460 |
| 1912 | 90 | #408 |
| 1911 | 62 | #349 |
| 1910 | 52 | #353 |
| 1909 | 35 | #419 |
| 1908 | 40 | #360 |
| 1907 | 31 | #405 |
| 1906 | 39 | #330 |
| 1905 | 33 | #360 |
| 1904 | 36 | #335 |
| 1903 | 32 | #340 |
| 1902 | 24 | #415 |
| 1901 | 30 | #325 |
| 1900 | 40 | #343 |
| 1899 | 25 | #362 |
| 1898 | 36 | #320 |
| 1897 | 43 | #272 |
| 1896 | 35 | #315 |
| 1895 | 33 | #316 |
| 1894 | 35 | #295 |
| 1893 | 37 | #286 |
| 1892 | 39 | #292 |
| 1891 | 29 | #308 |
| 1890 | 47 | #246 |
| 1889 | 48 | #233 |
| 1888 | 48 | #252 |
| 1887 | 36 | #270 |
| 1886 | 33 | #298 |
| 1885 | 44 | #248 |
| 1884 | 42 | #264 |
| 1883 | 42 | #253 |
| 1882 | 33 | #298 |
| 1881 | 38 | #257 |
| 1880 | 37 | #276 |
Names like Bud
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
John George Lee James Charles Frank Ben Howard Sam William Arthur Edward
Names related to Bud
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Bud: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/bud, updated 20 October 2026.