Buzz
A nickname, possibly derived from the insect's buzzing sound or expressing an energetic personality.
Name Census estimates that about 204 living Americans carry the first name Buzz. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Buzz today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Buzz births was 1951 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Buzz. 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
204
~ 1 in 1,680,168 Americans
Peak year
1951
19 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,897
Tracked since 1934
Popularity
Buzz: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Buzz from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 124 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Buzz 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 Buzz 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 Buzz
The given name Buzz is a relatively modern nickname that emerged in the 20th century. It is believed to have originated as a slang term or an informal shortening of the word "buzzard," which refers to a type of vulture. Initially, it may have been used as a playful or teasing nickname for someone considered lethargic or lazy, drawing a comparison to the soaring and effortless flight of these birds.
While the exact origins are unclear, the name Buzz gained popularity in the United States during the early 20th century. One of the earliest recorded uses of Buzz as a given name can be found in the 1915 novel "Bunker Bean" by Harry Leon Wilson, where a character is named Buzz Tookerman. However, it remained relatively uncommon until the mid-20th century.
The name Buzz received a significant boost in popularity after the rise of astronaut Buzz Aldrin (1930-), whose legal first name is Edwin but was known by his nickname Buzz. As the second person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, Buzz Aldrin's accomplishments and public profile helped to popularize the name.
Other notable historical figures with the first name Buzz include:
1. Buzz Arlett (1899-1964), an American baseball player and coach who played in the Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1937.
2. Buzz Bowers (1910-1986), an American actor and comedian best known for his role in the TV series "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet."
3. Buzz Capra (1944-2020), an American actor and singer who appeared in various television shows and films.
4. Buzz Kulik (1922-2017), an American film and television director known for his work on shows like "Baretta" and "Hill Street Blues."
5. Buzz Nuttall (1892-1962), an American football player and coach who played for the University of Michigan and later coached at various universities.
While the name Buzz has a relatively short history, it has become a recognizable and distinctive nickname, often associated with a sense of energy, enthusiasm, or a lively personality. Its rise to prominence is closely tied to the popularity of certain public figures, particularly in the realms of sports and space exploration.
People
Buzz + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Buzz 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
Buzz: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Buzz?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 204 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Buzz 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 1,680,168 US residents.
Is Buzz a common name?
We classify Buzz as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 273 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Buzz most popular?
The single biggest year for Buzz was 1951, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Buzz is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Buzz a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Buzz 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.