Bloom
A feminine name deriving from Middle English meaning "to blossom, flourish, or come into flower".
Name Census estimates that about 215 living Americans carry the first name Bloom. It is a predominantly female name (95.4% of registrations). The average person named Bloom today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bloom births was 2023 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bloom. 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
215
~ 1 in 1,594,206 Americans
Peak year
2023
67 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,077
Tracked since 2019
Gender
Gender distribution for Bloom
Bloom leans heavily female at 95.4% of total registrations, but 10 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Bloom as a male name
- Ranked #12,545 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (5 births)
Bloom as a female name
- Ranked #3,077 in 2024
- 52 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (62 births)
Popularity
Bloom: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bloom from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 207 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bloom 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 Bloom during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Blooms live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Bloom, while North Carolina, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bloom
The name Bloom is believed to have originated from the Old English word "bloman," which means "to blossom" or "to bloom." It is a name that has been in use since the Middle Ages, with records showing it being used as early as the 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bloom can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Bloem" and "Blome," indicating its widespread use across different regions of England.
In the 14th century, the name Bloom appeared in the literary works of Geoffrey Chaucer, the renowned English poet. Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" features a character named Bloum, further cementing the name's presence in medieval English literature.
During the Renaissance period, the name Bloom gained prominence through the works of the Dutch artist Pieter Brueghel the Elder, who was also known as Pieter Brueghel den Ouden (c. 1525-1569). One of his most famous paintings, "The Hunters in the Snow," features a character named Bloom, possibly a nod to the name's association with nature and the changing seasons.
In the 17th century, the name Bloom made its way to the American colonies, with records showing individuals bearing the name settling in various parts of the New World. One notable figure was Reginald Bloom (c. 1610-1674), a Puritan minister and co-founder of the town of Guilford, Connecticut.
The 19th century saw the rise of several notable individuals with the first name Bloom. Benjamin Bloom (1813-1900) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. Meanwhile, Robert Bloom (1826-1900) was an American soldier and Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
In the 20th century, the name Bloom continued to be used across various fields. Sol Bloom (1870-1949) was an American businessman and politician who served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs during World War II. Renowned playwright and screenwriter Ben Hecht (1894-1964), whose birth name was Benjamin Hecht, was often referred to as Ben Bloom.
More recently, the name Bloom has been associated with several prominent figures in the arts and entertainment industry. Orlando Bloom (born 1977) is a British actor best known for his roles in the "Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" film franchises. Claire Bloom (born 1931) is a renowned British actress who has appeared in numerous stage, film, and television productions over the course of her illustrious career.
People
Bloom + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bloom 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
Bloom: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bloom?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 215 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bloom 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 1,594,206 US residents.
Is Bloom a common name?
We classify Bloom as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 216 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bloom most popular?
The single biggest year for Bloom was 2023, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bloom is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bloom a female name?
Yes, 95.4% of people registered as Bloom in the SSA data are female. 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.