Bartlett
A medieval English given name derived from the word "bear" and "bright".
Name Census estimates that about 311 living Americans carry the first name Bartlett. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bartlett today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bartlett births was 1925 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bartlett. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
311
~ 1 in 1,102,104 Americans
Peak year
1925
16 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
2004 SSA rank
#11,545
Tracked since 1890
Popularity
Bartlett: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bartlett from the 1890s through to the 2000s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 107 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bartlett by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bartlett during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bartlett
The name Bartlett has its origins in the Old English language, where it was derived from the word "beorht," meaning "bright" or "shining." This name likely emerged in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, between the 5th and 11th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bartlett can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. In this document, several individuals bearing the name Bartlett or variations of it, such as Beorthelm or Beorhtric, are mentioned.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Bartlett continued to be used in England, though it was not as widespread as some other English names. It gained greater popularity during the Renaissance period, particularly among the gentry and nobility.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Bartlett was John Bartlett, an English writer and compiler of proverbs and quotations, born in 1820. His most famous work, "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations," published in 1855, became a renowned reference book and remains a valuable resource for scholars and writers to this day.
Another significant bearer of the name was Bartlett Sher, an American theater director known for his acclaimed productions of classical plays and musicals. Born in 1959, Sher has won numerous awards, including a Tony Award for his direction of the revival of "South Pacific" on Broadway in 2008.
In the realm of literature, Bartlett Whiting, an American writer and journalist born in 1838, made significant contributions with his works on the history and culture of New England. His book "The Bartlett Genealogy," published in 1891, remains an important resource for those researching the Bartlett family lineage.
Another notable figure was Bartlett Giamatti, an American scholar, author, and former President of Yale University, born in 1938. Giamatti's tenure as the Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1989 was marked by his efforts to restore the integrity of the sport following the controversial Pete Rose gambling scandal.
Lastly, Bartlett Brooks, an American painter and illustrator born in 1919, gained recognition for his depictions of rural American life and landscapes. His works, often featuring scenes from his native New England, are celebrated for their realism and attention to detail.
People
Bartlett + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bartlett as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bartlett: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bartlett?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 311 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bartlett going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,102,104 US residents.
Is Bartlett a common name?
We classify Bartlett as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 646 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bartlett most popular?
The single biggest year for Bartlett was 1925, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bartlett is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bartlett a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bartlett in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.