FastNamesParker
English and French name meaning "Park keeper or gamekeeper; occupational surname derived from Old French parquier and Middle English parker, denoting the official guardian of an enclosed medieval park or hunting ground.". Ranked 102nd for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Parker
Park keeper or gamekeeper; occupational surname derived from Old French parquier and Middle English parker, denoting the official guardian of an enclosed medieval park or hunting ground.
Linguistically, Parker is classified under English and French naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "PAHR-ker".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Parker has been given to a total of 130,941 boys. It has also been given to 32,895 girls.
Peak year: Parker reached its highest relative share among boys in 2013, when 5,672 babies received the name (2,999 per million births).
All-time best rank: 72nd place, first achieved in 2015.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 102nd with 3,477 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 72nd (down 30 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Parker in the 2010s than in any other decade (49,234 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 112 |
| 1890s | 134 |
| 1900s | 143 |
| 1910s | 546 |
| 1920s | 728 |
| 1930s | 559 |
| 1940s | 578 |
| 1950s | 568 |
| 1960s | 524 |
| 1970s | 632 |
| 1980s | 2,800 |
| 1990s | 16,234 |
| 2000s | 35,729 |
| 2010s | 49,234 |
| 2020s | 22,420 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Parker is most common in the US
Accounting for when Parker was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- North Dakota: 2.6 times the national rate (731 births since 1910).
- Utah: 2.5 times the national rate (3,907 births since 1910).
- Maine: 2.3 times the national rate (868 births since 1910).
- Vermont: 2.1 times the national rate (296 births since 1910).
- New Hampshire: 2.1 times the national rate (796 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Parker?
About 126,000 living American boys and men share the name Parker. Additionally, an estimated 32,500 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Parker is 15 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Parker
Parker originated in medieval Anglo-Norman England as an occupational designation for the keeper, ranger, or guardian of an enclosed deer park or royal hunting forest. The term derived from Old French parquier (a derivative of parc, meaning 'enclosure'), naming an official charged with protecting the game and timber of noble estates.
As a hereditary surname, Parker became widespread across England and Scotland, appearing in twelfth-century tax rolls. In colonial North America, Parker families established themselves from New England down through Virginia. Over the nineteenth century, the surname began seeing occasional baptismal use for sons to preserve maternal surnames.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Parker surged into widespread national adoption as a brisk, modern given name, reaching the masculine top one hundred in 2009 and concurrently rising as a popular unisex choice for girls. Its crisp two-syllable rhythm and open, breezy charm have cemented its role as a twenty-first-century favorite.
Notable people named Parker
- Parker Posey (1968–), American Golden Globe-nominated actress known as Queen of the Indies
- Parker Stevenson (1952–), American television and film actor known for The Hardy Boys
- Charlie Parker (1920–1955), Pioneering American jazz saxophonist and bebop innovator
- Dorothy Parker (1893–1967), American poet, writer, critic, and satirist
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 214.
- Charles Wareing Bardsley. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1901), p. 574.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.