FastNamesTaylor
French, English and Latin name meaning "Occupational name derived from Anglo-Norman French taillour (modern French tailleur, 'cutter of cloth'), from Late Latin taliare ('to cut').". Ranked 403rd for girls in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Taylor
Occupational name derived from Anglo-Norman French taillour (modern French tailleur, 'cutter of cloth'), from Late Latin taliare ('to cut').
Linguistically, Taylor is classified under French, English and Latin naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "TAY-lər".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Taylor has been given to a total of 330,145 girls. It has also been given to 113,541 boys.
Peak year: Taylor reached its highest relative share among girls in 1993, when 21,270 babies received the name (11,757 per million births).
All-time best rank: 6th place, first achieved in 1994.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 403rd with 772 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 77th (down 326 spots).
Busiest decade: More girls were named Taylor in the 1990s than in any other decade (169,040 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 32 |
| 1960s | 94 |
| 1970s | 626 |
| 1980s | 13,623 |
| 1990s | 169,040 |
| 2000s | 100,999 |
| 2010s | 38,221 |
| 2020s | 7,510 |
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 Taylor is most common in the US
Accounting for when Taylor was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Wyoming: 2.3 times the national rate (673 births since 1910).
- North Dakota: 1.8 times the national rate (1,151 births since 1910).
- Delaware: 1.8 times the national rate (1,222 births since 1910).
- South Dakota: 1.8 times the national rate (1,210 births since 1910).
- Vermont: 1.6 times the national rate (646 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 Taylor?
About 326,000 living American girls and women share the name Taylor. Additionally, an estimated 106,000 living American boys and men share the name.
The median age of an American named Taylor is 28 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Taylor
Taylor began as an Anglo-Norman occupational surname introduced into England following the 1066 Norman Conquest. It derives from Old French tailleor ('cutter', particularly a cutter of cloth), rooted in Late Latin taliare ('to cut' or 'split'). Tailors held a prestigious and indispensable craft in medieval society, designing bespoke garments for nobility and burgeoning urban guilds.
As a given name, Taylor was occasionally bestowed in England and the early American colonies to honor maternal lineages or maternal surnames, a practice especially popular in Virginia and the Carolinas. It gained national prominence as a family name through Zachary Taylor, the twelfth President of the United States.
In the late twentieth century, Taylor emerged as one of the quintessential unisex names in American history. Surging rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, Taylor entered the national top ten for girls in 1993 and peaked at rank 6 nationwide in 1996 and 1997, while also maintaining top-fifty status for boys. In contemporary global culture, its prominence is epitomized by singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
Notable people named Taylor
- Taylor Swift (1989–), American singer-songwriter and record-breaking artist
- Taylor Lautner (1992–), American actor known for the Twilight saga
- Taylor Fritz (1997–), American professional tennis player
- Taylor Kinney (1981–), American actor and model
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. 257.
- P. H. Reaney, R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames (1997), p. 439.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.