Major
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- MAY-jer
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #669 for boys
Major is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “greater”. In 2025 it ranked 669th for boys in the US (407 babies).
What does Major mean?
English: English word name and surname, from Latin maior
“greater”
From the English word and military rank, from Latin maior, greater; it is also an English surname.
Is Major a girl's or a boy's name?
Major is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 407 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Major in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2018, with 14 boys.
Half of all the boys named Major in the UK since 1996 were born between 2017 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Major in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | #4,346 |
| 2023 | 7 | #2,965 |
| 2022 | 3 | #5,017 |
| 2021 | 6 | #3,179 |
| 2020 | 3 | #4,803 |
| 2019 | 5 | #3,597 |
| 2018 | 14 | #1,803 |
| 2017 | 7 | #2,875 |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 1 | #6,016 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 3 | #3,992 |
How popular is Major in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 669th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 407 about 1 in 4,200 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 47% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 407 boys in the US were named Major, making it the 669th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 349th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 1,042 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 6 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Major than any year since 2011.
Half of all the boys named Major in the US since 1880 were born between 1945 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 430 boys in the US were given Major or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #616, up from #669 for this spelling alone.
Major in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 407 | #669 |
| 2024 | 491 | #580 |
| 2023 | 579 | #514 |
| 2022 | 705 | #441 |
| 2021 | 759 | #411 |
| 2020 | 913 | #349 |
| 2019 | 948 | #350 |
| 2018 | 944 | #349 |
| 2017 | 1,042 | #329 |
| 2016 | 990 | #348 |
| 2015 | 913 | #361 |
| 2014 | 934 | #350 |
| 2013 | 854 | #366 |
| 2012 | 556 | #486 |
| 2011 | 197 | #990 |
| 2010 | 238 | #878 |
| 2009 | 182 | #1,045 |
| 2008 | 90 | #1,692 |
| 2007 | 94 | #1,638 |
| 2006 | 83 | #1,698 |
| 2005 | 74 | #1,769 |
| 2004 | 75 | #1,698 |
| 2003 | 63 | #1,867 |
| 2002 | 78 | #1,568 |
| 2001 | 74 | #1,596 |
| 2000 | 55 | #1,891 |
| 1999 | 33 | #2,604 |
| 1998 | 36 | #2,391 |
| 1997 | 39 | #2,198 |
| 1996 | 36 | #2,249 |
| 1995 | 43 | #1,950 |
| 1994 | 46 | #1,846 |
| 1993 | 56 | #1,596 |
| 1992 | 48 | #1,745 |
| 1991 | 51 | #1,626 |
| 1990 | 62 | #1,415 |
| 1989 | 73 | #1,263 |
| 1988 | 60 | #1,325 |
| 1987 | 44 | #1,585 |
| 1986 | 51 | #1,384 |
| 1985 | 39 | #1,613 |
| 1984 | 53 | #1,264 |
| 1983 | 47 | #1,360 |
| 1982 | 51 | #1,309 |
| 1981 | 69 | #1,095 |
| 1980 | 65 | #1,125 |
| 1979 | 58 | #1,193 |
| 1978 | 54 | #1,214 |
| 1977 | 50 | #1,252 |
| 1976 | 46 | #1,304 |
| 1975 | 50 | #1,191 |
| 1974 | 59 | #1,073 |
| 1973 | 59 | #1,054 |
| 1972 | 57 | #1,069 |
| 1971 | 67 | #990 |
| 1970 | 72 | #940 |
| 1969 | 69 | #916 |
| 1968 | 55 | #996 |
| 1967 | 68 | #867 |
| 1966 | 57 | #961 |
| 1965 | 79 | #826 |
| 1964 | 83 | #831 |
| 1963 | 77 | #855 |
| 1962 | 67 | #925 |
| 1961 | 66 | #939 |
| 1960 | 71 | #896 |
| 1959 | 105 | #746 |
| 1958 | 97 | #746 |
| 1957 | 100 | #749 |
| 1956 | 98 | #740 |
| 1955 | 103 | #719 |
| 1954 | 111 | #683 |
| 1953 | 116 | #656 |
| 1952 | 116 | #644 |
| 1951 | 134 | #600 |
| 1950 | 134 | #585 |
| 1949 | 110 | #655 |
| 1948 | 120 | #616 |
| 1947 | 121 | #618 |
| 1946 | 108 | #619 |
| 1945 | 121 | #544 |
| 1944 | 129 | #536 |
| 1943 | 126 | #565 |
| 1942 | 122 | #556 |
| 1941 | 92 | #636 |
| 1940 | 127 | #513 |
| 1939 | 103 | #563 |
| 1938 | 98 | #597 |
| 1937 | 93 | #600 |
| 1936 | 103 | #566 |
| 1935 | 89 | #624 |
| 1934 | 95 | #606 |
| 1933 | 107 | #555 |
| 1932 | 125 | #515 |
| 1931 | 95 | #605 |
| 1930 | 143 | #498 |
| 1929 | 122 | #527 |
| 1928 | 150 | #493 |
| 1927 | 145 | #502 |
| 1926 | 147 | #496 |
| 1925 | 116 | #577 |
| 1924 | 150 | #512 |
| 1923 | 124 | #556 |
| 1922 | 151 | #502 |
| 1921 | 162 | #483 |
| 1920 | 169 | #469 |
| 1919 | 183 | #435 |
| 1918 | 153 | #480 |
| 1917 | 159 | #447 |
| 1916 | 130 | #499 |
| 1915 | 151 | #445 |
| 1914 | 109 | #462 |
| 1913 | 98 | #430 |
| 1912 | 68 | #474 |
| 1911 | 50 | #404 |
| 1910 | 46 | #383 |
| 1909 | 51 | #321 |
| 1908 | 38 | #374 |
| 1907 | 30 | #417 |
| 1906 | 39 | #330 |
| 1905 | 44 | #303 |
| 1904 | 31 | #360 |
| 1903 | 36 | #312 |
| 1902 | 46 | #277 |
| 1901 | 22 | #399 |
| 1900 | 51 | #290 |
| 1899 | 42 | #257 |
| 1898 | 42 | #279 |
| 1897 | 39 | #288 |
| 1896 | 42 | #282 |
| 1895 | 34 | #310 |
| 1894 | 37 | #289 |
| 1893 | 41 | #273 |
| 1892 | 41 | #284 |
| 1891 | 34 | #277 |
| 1890 | 27 | #335 |
| 1889 | 44 | #244 |
| 1888 | 37 | #289 |
| 1887 | 40 | #250 |
| 1886 | 31 | #309 |
| 1885 | 37 | #274 |
| 1884 | 36 | #288 |
| 1883 | 41 | #259 |
| 1882 | 44 | #258 |
| 1881 | 40 | #244 |
| 1880 | 28 | #320 |
Names like Major
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Milo, Jasper, Ezra, Archer, Casper, Arthur, Leo, Oakley, Carter, Chester, Miller, Henry
Other spellings of Major
Names related to Major
More English names
Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Riley, Mason, Cooper, Ruby, Hallie, Hazel
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and 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, “Major: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/major, updated 20 October 2026.