Find out how popular the first name Bishop has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Bishop by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Bishop is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 98% of people named Bishop being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 172 male babies and 9 female babies born with the name Bishop.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 9 baby girls were named Bishop in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Bishop

The name Bishop is an English given name derived from the ecclesiastical title of the same spelling. It originated as an occupational surname in medieval England, referring to a person who held the rank of bishop in the Christian church hierarchy.

The word "bishop" itself comes from the Greek word "episkopos," which means "overseer" or "guardian." This Greek term was adopted into Late Latin as "episcopus" and eventually made its way into Old English as "biscop" or "bisceop." Over time, the spelling evolved into the modern English form, "bishop."

In the early days of Christianity, bishops held significant authority and played a crucial role in the governance and spiritual leadership of the church. As a result, the title "bishop" became associated with respect and prestige, which may have contributed to its adoption as a given name.

The earliest recorded use of Bishop as a first name dates back to the 13th century in England. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Bishop of Norwich, a 13th-century English prelate who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1236 to 1257.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Bishop, including:

1. Bishop Wilkins (1614-1672), an English mathematician, philosopher, and one of the founders of the Royal Society.
2. Bishop Burnet (1635-1715), a Scottish theologian and historian who served as the Bishop of Salisbury.
3. Bishop Berkeley (1685-1753), an Irish philosopher and Anglican bishop best known for his philosophical works on idealism.
4. Bishop Spong (1931-2021), a retired American bishop of the Episcopal Church and a prominent voice in progressive Christianity.
5. Bishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021), a South African Anglican bishop and theologian who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end apartheid in South Africa.

While the name Bishop has its origins in the Christian faith and the ecclesiastical hierarchy, it has since been adopted as a given name by individuals from various backgrounds, transcending its original religious connotations.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Bishop was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bishop, please contact us.

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