Buddy
Boy · BUD-ee · English
Buddy is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “friend, mate”. In 2025 it ranked 1,133rd for boys in the UK (28 babies) and 4,395th for boys in the US (23 babies).
What does Buddy mean?
English: nickname from buddy, 'friend'
“friend, mate”
Borne by rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly, whose real name was Charles Hardin Holley.
- Say it
- BUD-ee
More on Wiktionary.
Is Buddy a girl's or a boy's name?
Buddy is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 28 boys in the UK and 23 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Buddy in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,133among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 28about 1 in 11,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling fastdown 61% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 28 boys in the UK were named Buddy, making it the 1,133rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 478th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 188 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Buddy than any year since 2009.
Half of all the boys named Buddy in the UK since 1996 were born between 2013 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,066th in England and Wales.
Buddy in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | #1,133 |
| 2024 | 57 | #697 |
| 2023 | 55 | #710 |
| 2022 | 69 | #601 |
| 2021 | 111 | #428 |
| 2020 | 92 | #478 |
| 2019 | 132 | #378 |
| 2018 | 137 | #369 |
| 2017 | 174 | #326 |
| 2016 | 188 | #304 |
| 2015 | 159 | #332 |
| 2014 | 154 | #329 |
| 2013 | 116 | #399 |
| 2012 | 127 | #383 |
| 2011 | 67 | #573 |
| 2010 | 36 | #883 |
| 2009 | 24 | #1,150 |
| 2008 | 23 | #1,171 |
| 2007 | 15 | #1,540 |
| 2006 | 17 | #1,302 |
| 2005 | 17 | #1,267 |
| 2004 | 13 | #1,417 |
| 2003 | 10 | #1,608 |
| 2002 | 12 | #1,312 |
| 2001 | 6 | #2,049 |
| 2000 | 9 | #1,503 |
| 1999 | 6 | #1,941 |
| 1998 | 1 | #3,884 |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
How popular is Buddy in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,395among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 23about 1 in 74,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 40% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 23 boys in the US were named Buddy, making it the 4,395th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,137th. Its busiest year was 1935, with 604 boys. It first appears in the records in 1893.
2025 had fewer boys named Buddy than any year since 2019.
Half of all the boys named Buddy in the US since 1880 were born between 1935 and 1965, the years shaded on the chart below.
Buddy in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | #4,395 |
| 2024 | 29 | #3,791 |
| 2023 | 39 | #3,115 |
| 2022 | 32 | #3,531 |
| 2021 | 35 | #3,295 |
| 2020 | 24 | #4,137 |
| 2019 | 18 | #5,149 |
| 2018 | 23 | #4,350 |
| 2017 | 28 | #3,777 |
| 2016 | 30 | #3,595 |
| 2015 | 27 | #3,881 |
| 2014 | 35 | #3,152 |
| 2013 | 23 | #4,178 |
| 2012 | 38 | #3,000 |
| 2011 | 27 | #3,790 |
| 2010 | 22 | #4,365 |
| 2009 | 43 | #2,799 |
| 2008 | 28 | #3,741 |
| 2007 | 32 | #3,377 |
| 2006 | 25 | #3,886 |
| 2005 | 41 | #2,649 |
| 2004 | 37 | #2,784 |
| 2003 | 40 | #2,541 |
| 2002 | 35 | #2,681 |
| 2001 | 36 | #2,613 |
| 2000 | 40 | #2,375 |
| 1999 | 29 | #2,861 |
| 1998 | 44 | #2,091 |
| 1997 | 55 | #1,750 |
| 1996 | 45 | #1,954 |
| 1995 | 41 | #2,021 |
| 1994 | 48 | #1,790 |
| 1993 | 78 | #1,283 |
| 1992 | 65 | #1,412 |
| 1991 | 80 | #1,239 |
| 1990 | 98 | #1,068 |
| 1989 | 97 | #1,053 |
| 1988 | 104 | #942 |
| 1987 | 116 | #865 |
| 1986 | 121 | #827 |
| 1985 | 116 | #832 |
| 1984 | 130 | #759 |
| 1983 | 138 | #735 |
| 1982 | 174 | #660 |
| 1981 | 156 | #691 |
| 1980 | 139 | #744 |
| 1979 | 168 | #658 |
| 1978 | 174 | #631 |
| 1977 | 185 | #617 |
| 1976 | 170 | #629 |
| 1975 | 179 | #607 |
| 1974 | 174 | #608 |
| 1973 | 205 | #551 |
| 1972 | 231 | #516 |
| 1971 | 215 | #549 |
| 1970 | 188 | #592 |
| 1969 | 213 | #539 |
| 1968 | 191 | #546 |
| 1967 | 213 | #514 |
| 1966 | 217 | #514 |
| 1965 | 259 | #483 |
| 1964 | 279 | #473 |
| 1963 | 303 | #454 |
| 1962 | 336 | #435 |
| 1961 | 377 | #406 |
| 1960 | 356 | #424 |
| 1959 | 318 | #449 |
| 1958 | 350 | #419 |
| 1957 | 354 | #413 |
| 1956 | 346 | #407 |
| 1955 | 356 | #379 |
| 1954 | 330 | #394 |
| 1953 | 331 | #380 |
| 1952 | 315 | #386 |
| 1951 | 370 | #357 |
| 1950 | 379 | #345 |
| 1949 | 344 | #363 |
| 1948 | 354 | #358 |
| 1947 | 378 | #350 |
| 1946 | 366 | #336 |
| 1945 | 322 | #332 |
| 1944 | 401 | #299 |
| 1943 | 430 | #296 |
| 1942 | 501 | #266 |
| 1941 | 456 | #262 |
| 1940 | 448 | #264 |
| 1939 | 499 | #233 |
| 1938 | 522 | #229 |
| 1937 | 551 | #216 |
| 1936 | 524 | #221 |
| 1935 | 604 | #202 |
| 1934 | 517 | #227 |
| 1933 | 519 | #222 |
| 1932 | 467 | #248 |
| 1931 | 464 | #248 |
| 1930 | 437 | #269 |
| 1929 | 355 | #295 |
| 1928 | 251 | #368 |
| 1927 | 260 | #362 |
| 1926 | 226 | #393 |
| 1925 | 172 | #462 |
| 1924 | 177 | #460 |
| 1923 | 130 | #535 |
| 1922 | 126 | #566 |
| 1921 | 112 | #599 |
| 1920 | 103 | #623 |
| 1919 | 94 | #624 |
| 1918 | 97 | #625 |
| 1917 | 72 | #723 |
| 1916 | 69 | #724 |
| 1915 | 64 | #750 |
| 1914 | 67 | #616 |
| 1913 | 51 | #615 |
| 1912 | 34 | #735 |
| 1911 | 16 | #823 |
| 1910 | 40 | #430 |
| 1909 | 15 | #714 |
| 1908 | 15 | #685 |
| 1907 | 18 | #591 |
| 1906 | 15 | #613 |
| 1905 | 8 | #918 |
| 1904 | 11 | #723 |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,009 |
| 1902 | 15 | #555 |
| 1901 | 8 | #778 |
| 1900 | 10 | #835 |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,050 |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,120 |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 11 | #674 |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 7 | #856 |
| 1893 | 5 | #1,034 |
Names like Buddy
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Bobby Teddy Tommy Stanley Billy Sonny Freddie Frankie Rudy Woody Benny Sidney
Names related to Buddy
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie