Fern
Girl name · #1219 in 2025 · Uniqueness 53/100
Fern is currently the #1219 girl name in the United States — 186 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2194, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,677 girls born in 2025 was named Fern.
Babies named Fern per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Fern first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 1,341 girls were named Fern — good for #164 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Fern against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Fern in class?
Fern scores 53 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Fern is most common
Geography matters for names, and Fern is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Ferns were OR (15), CA (12), OH (11), WA (11), UT (10). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Fern
Statistically, parents drawn to Fern tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nell, Etta, Flora, Agnes, and Tillie.
NellEttaFloraAgnesTillieViolaLeoraOdessa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Fern | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 186 | #1219 |
| 2024 | 186 | #1250 |
| 2023 | 157 | #1421 |
| 2022 | 148 | #1478 |
| 2021 | 141 | #1498 |
| 2020 | 135 | #1559 |
| 2019 | 108 | #1864 |
| 2018 | 127 | #1656 |
| 2017 | 86 | #2200 |
| 2016 | 87 | #2206 |
| 2015 | 86 | #2194 |
| 2014 | 65 | #2683 |
| 2013 | 46 | #3404 |
| 2012 | 45 | #3523 |
| 2011 | 34 | #4244 |
| 2010 | 33 | #4397 |
| 2009 | 26 | #5378 |
| 2008 | 27 | #5279 |
| 2007 | 10 | #10818 |
| 2006 | 16 | #7482 |
| 2005 | 18 | #6528 |
| 2004 | 19 | #6216 |
| 2003 | 13 | #7998 |
| 2002 | 11 | #8837 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10102 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Fern a popular girl name?
Fern ranked #1219 among girls in 2025 with 186 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2194.
When was the name Fern most popular?
Fern peaked in 1918, when 1,341 American girls received the name (ranked #164 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Fern?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,677 newborn American girls was named Fern. It scores 53/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.