Fern

#1,219 for girls in 2025, 186 births · Last seen for boys in 2024 at #5,659
Given to girls 98.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1916 · 1,332 births
Debut · girls
10 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
37,666
since 1880

Fern over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Fern has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201931peak #152, 1916girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,219186—
2024#1,250186#5,65916
2023#1,421157—
2022#1,478148#12,3305
2021#1,498141—
2020#1,559135—
2019#1,864108—
2018#1,656127—
2017#2,20086—
2016#2,20687—
2015#2,19486—
2014#2,68365—
2013#3,40446—
2012#3,52345—
2011#4,24434—
2010#4,39733—
2009#5,37826—
2008#5,27927—
2007#10,81810—
2006#7,48216—
2005#6,52818—
2004#6,21619—
2003#7,99813—
2002#8,83711—
2001#10,1029—
2000#5,93718—
1999#7,23913—
1998#8,58410—
1997#7,74211—
1996#11,8076—
1995#6,64113—
1994#6,67213—
1993#9,5598—
1992#13,3175—
1991#8,5889—
1990#8,5019—
1989#5,54515—
1988#4,49619—
1987#7,9878—
1986#10,9125—
1985#5,34813—
1984#3,72621—
1983#4,28617—
1982#2,90131—
1981#3,06628—
1980#4,32717—
1979#2,99728—
1978#4,24216—
1977#3,61220—
1976#3,96316—
1975#3,15522—
1974#2,83525—
1973#2,30933—
1972#2,35631—
1971#2,03541—
1970#1,49067#4,7245
1969#1,72849—
1968#1,51956—
1967#1,29970—
1966#1,28471—
1965#1,16884—
1964#1,060105—
1963#1,022109#4,0485
1962#1,12194—
1961#821164—
1960#755183—
1959#702204—
1958#748177—
1957#731187—
1956#629232—
1955#633216—
1954#585237—
1953#543256#2,9058
1952#577226#3,7345
1951#527250—
1950#547228#2,7708
1949#538238#3,6905
1948#528245—
1947#520255—
1946#464284—
1945#442260#2,5748
1944#427281—
1943#423300—
1942#407311#2,9407
1941#396301#3,5055
1940#359328#3,4595
1939#359327—
1938#323377#3,1756
1937#326366#2,33210
1936#303395#2,6298
1935#289429#2,9517
1934#285462#2,7428
1933#275507#1,82915
1932#277503#3,3616
1931#255571#2,20712
1930#246633#3,0228
1929#231679#2,19913
1928#221806#2,27013
1927#219845#1,87118
1926#209912#3,1398
1925#203976#2,08915
1924#1971,059#2,04316
1923#1871,169#1,87418
1922#1821,207#1,95217
1921#1741,297#1,70321
1920#1701,304#1,69421
1919#1761,181#1,97316
1918#1641,341#2,07315
1917#1621,261#1,90016
1916#1521,332#1,77117
1915#1571,175#1,30626
1914#172821#1,68714
1913#166697#1,67611
1912#167613#2,0457
1911#172435#1,3877
1910#174394#1,3147
1909#173345#1,0838
1908#166364—
1907#193276—
1906#181277#1,2535
1905#183273#1,2335
1904#173281—
1903#176276#69611
1902#190238#1,0136
1901#191217—
1900#193266—
1899#182232—
1898#174265—
1897#178237#7878
1896#186218—
1895#199184—
1894#188197#8577
1893#185189#1,0355
1892#192172—
1891#214124—
1890#224119—
1889#230103#9745
1888#26277—
1887#25269—
1886#35636#8456
1885#30344—
1884#30440#9715
1883#43519—
1882#34826—
1881#53910—
1880#54710—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Fern was already there! It came in at #547, and was given to 10 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1986, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Fern is popular in 1931

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedAKMaine: #204 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,273 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedWAIdaho: #132 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 498 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #96 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 329 girlsNDMinnesota: #132 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 727 girlsMNIllinois: #185 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 1,318 girlsILWisconsin: #147 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,003 girlsWIMichigan: #180 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 1,328 girlsMINew York: #423 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 6,971 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedNVWyoming: #89 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 298 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #114 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 499 girlsSDIowa: #133 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 732 girlsIAIndiana: #192 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,393 girlsINOhio: #248 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 2,359 girlsOHPennsylvania: #184 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 1,487 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #283 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,065 girlsCAUtah: #69 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 272 girlsUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedCONebraska: #111 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 535 girlsNEMissouri: #151 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 749 girlsMOKentucky: #202 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,083 girlsKYWest Virginia: #329 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,859 girlsWVVirginia: #336 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,227 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedDEArizona: #195 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 779 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedNMKansas: #122 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 540 girlsKSArkansas: #177 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 799 girlsARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #452 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,627 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #138 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 610 girlsOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedHITexas: #433 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 3,122 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Fern, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Utah#69 · 1 in 272
  2. Wyoming#89 · 1 in 298
  3. North Dakota#96 · 1 in 329
  4. Nebraska#111 · 1 in 535
  5. South Dakota#114 · 1 in 499

Best ever in a state: #19 in Utah, 1912.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Utah#69161 in 272
Wyoming#8951 in 298
North Dakota#96181 in 329
Nebraska#111201 in 535
South Dakota#114111 in 499
Kansas#122261 in 540
Idaho#13271 in 498
Minnesota#132271 in 727
Iowa#133251 in 732
Oklahoma#138361 in 610
Wisconsin#147231 in 1,003
Missouri#151361 in 749
Arkansas#177221 in 799
Michigan#180291 in 1,328
Pennsylvania#184521 in 1,487
Illinois#185401 in 1,318
Indiana#192171 in 1,393
Arizona#19551 in 779
Kentucky#202241 in 1,083
Maine#20451 in 1,273
Ohio#248201 in 2,359
California#283171 in 2,065
West Virginia#32961 in 2,859
Virginia#33671 in 3,227
New York#423131 in 6,971
Texas#433181 in 3,122
North Carolina#45261 in 5,627
Alabama———
Alaska———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Louisiana———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Tennessee———
Vermont———
Washington———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Fern
Momentum · girls
Rising
  • 31 spots since 2024 (#1,250 → #1,219)
  • 340 spots since 2020 (#1,559 → #1,219)
  • 975 spots since 2015 (#2,194 → #1,219)
  • Biggest jump: 191 spots in 1882 (#539 → #348)
  • Biggest drop: 300 spots in 1962 (#821 → #1,121)
Rise & fade · girls
36 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1916 at #152 (1,332 births)
  • Births halved by 1930, 14 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 82 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 82 yrs · run 1880–1961
Share of babies · girls
1 in 784
  • Highest: 1 in 784 girls born in 1916 were named Fern (0.13%)
  • Latest: 1 in 8,641 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 27.2% of all girls named Fern (10,254) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s434#230 (1889)#358
1890s1,937#174 (1898)#192
1900s2,813#166 (1908)#182
1910s9,250#152 (1916)#166
1920s10,254#170 (1920)#199
1930s4,570#246 (1930)#294
1940s2,803#359 (1940)#450
1950s2,213#527 (1951)#622
1960s985#755 (1960)#1,178
1970s299#1,490 (1970)#2,899
1980s174#2,901 (1982)#5,259
1990s97#6,641 (1995)#8,865
2000s167#5,279 (2008)#7,458
2010s717#1,656 (2018)#2,837
2020s953#1,219 (2025)#1,404

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Fern in 1931

girls
#255
571 births · 1 in 1,865 girls
boys
#2,207
12 births · 1 in 86,639 boys

Top girls' names in 1931

  1. #1Mary60,299
  2. #2Betty36,105
  3. #3Dorothy26,524
  4. #4Barbara21,804
  5. #5Joan19,119
  6. #6Helen17,664
  7. #7Margaret17,332
  8. #8Patricia16,469
  9. #9Shirley14,405
  10. #10Doris13,629
  11. #255Fern571

Top boys' names in 1931

  1. #1Robert60,519
  2. #2James51,212
  3. #3John48,423
  4. #4William43,280
  5. #5Richard31,822
  6. #6Charles29,934
  7. #7Donald29,100
  8. #8George20,685
  9. #9Joseph19,326
  10. #10Thomas16,847
  11. #2,207Fern12
More about 1931

girls

1,064,728 girls got a published name in 1931; 1 in 1,865 of them was named Fern, which outranked 94.9% of the 4,979 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fern
  1. #252Veronica578
  2. #253Luella576
  3. #253Sharon576
  4. #255Fern571
  5. #256Glenna564
  6. #257Ora563
  7. #258Isabel561
Biggest movers since 1930
Risers
  1. ↑ 857Joretta#1,320 → #463
  2. ↑ 519Joetta#1,460 → #941
  3. ↑ 483Sondra#1,031 → #548
  4. ↑ 465Celine#1,460 → #995
  5. ↑ 343Lynne#1,274 → #931
Fallers
  1. ↓ 377Margo#937 → #1,314
  2. ↓ 349Rachael#894 → #1,243
  3. ↓ 317Evelyne#926 → #1,243
  4. ↓ 287Vivien#971 → #1,258
  5. ↓ 283Ardeth#629 → #912

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,039,665 boys got a published name in 1931; 1 in 86,639 of them was named Fern, which outranked 48.9% of the 4,321 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Fern
  1. #2,101Vann13
  2. #2,101Woodson13
  3. #2,101Zenon13
  4. #2,207Fern12
  5. #2,207Agapito12
  6. #2,207Alexis12
  7. #2,207Alger12
  8. #2,328Adolphe11
  9. #2,328Agostino11
  10. #2,328Aime11

Tied with 120 names at #2,207; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1930
Risers
  1. ↑ 794Kenton#1,753 → #959
  2. ↑ 420Wyman#1,330 → #910
  3. ↑ 408Jan#1,330 → #922
  4. ↑ 402Leopold#1,399 → #997
  5. ↑ 398Odie#1,299 → #901
Fallers
  1. ↓ 513Artie#976 → #1,489
  2. ↓ 469Arnulfo#892 → #1,361
  3. ↓ 385Rose#832 → #1,217
  4. ↓ 357Ransom#976 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 343Jodie#990 → #1,333

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1931 →