Bolivar
A masculine name of Spanish origin meaning "he who follows trails".
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the first name Bolivar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bolivar today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bolivar births was 1988 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bolivar. 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
221
~ 1 in 1,550,925 Americans
Peak year
1988
14 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,002
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Bolivar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bolivar from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 58 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bolivar 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 Bolivar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bolivars live
Origin
Meaning and history of Bolivar
The name Bolivar has its origins in the Basque language, which is spoken in parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to be derived from the Basque words "bolu" and "ibar," which together mean "valley of thunder" or "thunderous valley." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in the region now known as the Basque Country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bolivar can be found in the 12th-century Codex Calixtinus, a medieval manuscript that served as a guide for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. The name is mentioned in connection with a place called "Vallis Bolivar," which is thought to refer to a valley in the Basque region.
In the late 15th century, a Spanish soldier and explorer named Simón de Bolívar is mentioned in historical records from the time of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. However, it is unclear if this individual was directly related to the more famous Simón Bolívar, who led the revolutions against Spanish rule in much of South America in the early 19th century.
The most renowned figure in history bearing the name Bolivar is undoubtedly Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), the Venezuelan military and political leader who played a pivotal role in the independence movements of several South American countries. He is revered as a hero and liberator in nations like Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, which was named in his honor.
Another notable individual with the name Bolivar was Bolivar Shagnasty (1852-1924), an American businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia. He founded the Shagnasty Soap Company and donated a significant portion of his wealth to various charitable causes.
In the literary realm, Bolivar Arellano (1923-1995) was a prominent Ecuadorian poet and writer, known for his works that explored themes of identity, nature, and the indigenous cultures of South America.
The name Bolivar has also been associated with several members of the Spanish nobility over the centuries, including Don Bolivar de Mendoza (1632-1701), a Spanish diplomat and courtier during the reign of King Charles II.
While the name Bolivar may have ancient Basque roots, it gained widespread recognition and prominence throughout the Americas due to the legacy of Simón Bolívar, the iconic leader of South American independence movements in the early 19th century.
People
Bolivar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bolivar 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
Bolivar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bolivar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 221 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bolivar 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 1,550,925 US residents.
Is Bolivar a common name?
We classify Bolivar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 248 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bolivar most popular?
The single biggest year for Bolivar was 1988, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bolivar is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bolivar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bolivar 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.