Birger
A masculine Scandinavian name meaning "helper", derived from Old Norse elements.
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Birger. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Birger today is around 102 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Birger births was 1917 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Birger. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Birger is about 102 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Birgers were born before 1934.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Birger. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1917
8 babies that year
Average age
102
years old
1940 SSA rank
#3,498
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Birger: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Birger from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 19 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Birger 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 Birger 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 Birger
The name Birger has its origins in the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Norse people during the Viking Age, roughly from the 8th to the 11th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "Bir" meaning "warrior" and "ger" meaning "spear."
The name was particularly prominent in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden, where it was borne by several influential historical figures. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Birger Brosa, a Swedish jarl (earl) who lived in the 13th century and played a significant role in the consolidation of Sweden as a unified kingdom.
Another famous bearer of the name was Birger Jarl (c. 1210-1266), a Swedish statesman and regent who was instrumental in the expansion of Stockholm and the construction of several fortresses and churches. His son, Valdemar Birgersson (c. 1238-1302), also held the title of King of Sweden from 1250 to 1275.
In medieval Norwegian literature, the name appears in the Icelandic sagas, such as the Saga of Grettir the Strong, where Birger is mentioned as a character. This suggests that the name was also in use among the Norse settlers in Iceland during the Viking Age.
Beyond Scandinavia, the name found its way into other parts of Europe, particularly in Germany, where it was sometimes rendered as "Berger." One notable bearer of this variation was Berger Thorvaldsson (c. 1020-1098), an Icelandic chieftain and one of the earliest settlers of Greenland.
Another historical figure with the name Birger was Birger Magnusson (c. 1280-1321), a Swedish prince and Duke of Sweden, who played a significant role in the conflict between Sweden and Denmark during the early 14th century.
The name Birger has remained in use throughout the centuries, though its popularity has waxed and waned in different regions. It continues to be a recognizable name in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden, where it has maintained a strong cultural significance.
People
Birger + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Birger 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
Birger: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Birger?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Birger 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Birger a common name?
We classify Birger as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 34 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Birger most popular?
The single biggest year for Birger was 1917, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Birger is about 102 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Birger in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Birger a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Birger 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.
Is Birger still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Birger in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Birger can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Birger?
You can see how many people share the name Birger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.