Buster
A playful nickname originating from slang meaning "something large".
Name Census estimates that about 2,390 living Americans carry the first name Buster. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Buster today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Buster births was 1918 (251 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Buster. 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
2.4K
~ 1 in 143,412 Americans
Peak year
1918
251 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,919
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Buster
Out of the 8,166 babies given the name Buster since 1880, 99.9% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Buster as a male name
- Ranked #6,499 in 2024
- 13 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1918 (246 births)
Buster as a female name
- Ranked #4,919 in 1918
- 5 female births in 1918
- Peak: 1918 (5 births)
Popularity
Buster: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Buster from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 1,822 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
Buster 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 Buster during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Busters live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. Texas, South Carolina, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Buster, while Kansas, Colorado, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 249 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Buster
The name Buster originated as a nickname derived from the word "burster," which referred to someone who broke things or was destructive. It first emerged in the early 19th century, likely in the United States or Britain. The earliest known use of the name dates back to 1834, when it was used as a character's name in a British novel.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Buster was the American actor and filmmaker Buster Keaton (1895-1966). Known for his deadpan expression and physical comedy, Keaton was a pioneer of early cinema and starred in numerous silent films during the 1920s.
Another notable figure with the name Buster was Buster Crabbe (1908-1983), an American athlete and actor who won a gold medal in swimming at the 1932 Olympics. He later portrayed popular characters like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers in various film serials.
In the realm of music, Buster Poindexter (born 1951) is the stage name of American singer and songwriter Robert Reinhold Velline, known for his energetic performances and blending of various musical styles, including rock, pop, and calypso.
The name Buster also has historical connections to World War II. Buster Crabb (1909-1956) was a British Royal Navy diver who went missing during a secret reconnaissance mission in 1956, leading to speculation about his fate.
Another notable figure was Buster Brown, a fictional character created by Richard F. Outcault in 1902 for a popular comic strip of the same name. The character, along with his dog Tige, became a cultural icon and inspired various merchandising products.
While the name Buster initially carried connotations of rambunctiousness or mischievousness, it has evolved over time to become a more commonly accepted given name, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its association with notable individuals and its distinctive, playful sound.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Buster
People
Buster + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Buster 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
Buster: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Buster?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,390 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Buster 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 143,412 US residents.
Is Buster a common name?
We classify Buster as "Rare". It ranks above 94.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8,166 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Buster most popular?
The single biggest year for Buster was 1918, when 251 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Buster is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Buster a male name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Buster 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.