Bear
Boy name · #854 in 2025 · Uniqueness 57/100
In 2025, 286 baby boys were named Bear, placing it at #854 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1317, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,294 boys born in 2025 was named Bear.
Babies named Bear per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 50-year story
Bear first appears in the Social Security records in 1975, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 332 babies and a rank of #760. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Bear against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bear in class?
Bear scores 57 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 Bear is most common
Geography matters for names, and Bear is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Bears were CA (27), TX (25), IL (14), WA (14), CO (12). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Bear
Statistically, parents drawn to Bear tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Briar, Cedar, Boaz, Ivar, and Veer.
BriarCedarBoazIvarVeerUmarKaiserBeaux
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bear | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 286 | #853 |
| 2024 | 302 | #826 |
| 2023 | 299 | #820 |
| 2022 | 332 | #760 |
| 2021 | 288 | #827 |
| 2020 | 250 | #899 |
| 2019 | 244 | #897 |
| 2018 | 207 | #998 |
| 2017 | 198 | #1020 |
| 2016 | 187 | #1055 |
| 2015 | 134 | #1317 |
| 2014 | 131 | #1329 |
| 2013 | 86 | #1709 |
| 2012 | 79 | #1849 |
| 2011 | 85 | #1730 |
| 2010 | 54 | #2354 |
| 2009 | 55 | #2348 |
| 2008 | 48 | #2583 |
| 2007 | 24 | #4127 |
| 2006 | 8 | #8732 |
| 2005 | 10 | #7096 |
| 2003 | 7 | #8643 |
| 2002 | 6 | #9392 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7536 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9112 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bear a popular boy name?
Bear ranked #854 among boys in 2025 with 286 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1317.
When was the name Bear most popular?
Bear peaked in 2022, when 332 American boys received the name (ranked #760 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Bear?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,294 newborn American boys was named Bear. It scores 57/100 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.