Byrde
A feminine name of English origin, possibly derived from bird or roebuck.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Byrde. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Byrde today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Byrde births was 1887 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Byrde. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Byrde. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1887
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1887 SSA rank
#1,047
Tracked since 1884
Popularity
Byrde: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Byrde 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 Byrde during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 11 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Byrde
The name Byrde has its origins in Old English, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain. It is derived from the Old English word "bryrd," which means "a young bird" or "nestling." This word is related to the modern English word "bird," and the name was likely given to children as a term of endearment, comparing them to a small, innocent bird.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Byrde can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already in use among the English population during the 11th century.
In medieval times, the name Byrde was sometimes associated with religious symbolism, as birds were often used to represent the human soul or spiritual purity in Christian art and literature. For example, the dove was a common symbol of the Holy Spirit, and the pelican was believed to represent Christ's sacrifice.
One notable bearer of the name Byrde was William Byrde, an English composer and musician who lived from around 1538 to 1623. He was one of the most renowned composers of the Renaissance period and is famous for his sacred choral works, such as his masses and motets.
Another historical figure with the name Byrde was Dorothy Byrde, an English noblewoman who lived in the 16th century. She was the daughter of Sir Robert Byrde and was known for her involvement in various political intrigues during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, there was a prominent English scholar and clergyman named William Byrde (1565-1624), who served as the Bishop of Llandaff and was known for his writings on theology and ecclesiastical history.
A more recent historical figure with the name Byrde was Harry Byrde (1887-1971), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.
Finally, one cannot ignore the literary connection of the name Byrde, as it appears in the works of William Shakespeare. In his play "The Merchant of Venice," there is a character named Byrde, who is a servant to the character Bassanio.
People
Byrde + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Byrde 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
Byrde: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Byrde?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Byrde 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 - US residents.
Is Byrde a common name?
We classify Byrde as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Byrde most popular?
The single biggest year for Byrde was 1887, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Byrde is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Byrde in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Byrde a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Byrde 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.
Is Byrde still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Byrde in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Byrde can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Byrde?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.