Edgar first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Edgar has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Edgar

A masculine name of English origin meaning "wealthy guard" or "prosperous spearman".

Popularity of Edgar by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Edgar is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Edgar being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 714 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Edgar.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 714 0
2022 769 0
2021 756 0
2020 788 0
2019 812 0
2018 925 0
2017 939 0
2016 1,013 0
2015 1,114 0
2014 1,178 0
2013 1,210 0
2012 1,317 0
2011 1,467 5
2010 1,644 0
2009 1,908 6
2008 2,064 0
2007 2,420 0
2006 2,391 0
2005 2,453 5
2004 2,385 8
2003 2,319 0
2002 2,195 0
2001 2,376 10
2000 2,072 0
1999 2,036 6
1998 2,046 10
1997 2,115 14
1996 2,359 9
1995 2,320 14
1994 2,393 12
1993 2,261 19
1992 2,205 15
1991 2,267 17
1990 2,205 25
1989 2,104 19
1988 1,616 21
1987 1,603 14
1986 1,020 10
1985 880 8
1984 833 15
1983 896 11
1982 833 11
1981 934 5
1980 888 8
1979 803 7
1978 688 10
1977 711 5
1976 664 5
1975 717 8
1974 652 6

The history of the first name Edgar

The name Edgar has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon culture of England, dating back to the 7th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ead," meaning wealth or prosperity, and "gar," meaning spear. The name's literal translation is "rich spear" or "prosperous spear-man."

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Edgar comes from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which mentions an Edgar who ruled as King of England from 959 to 975 AD. This king, known as Edgar the Peaceful, was praised for restoring monastic life in England and uniting the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria under his rule.

The name Edgar also appears in various literary works throughout history. In the 12th century, the medieval poet Layamon mentioned an Edgar in his Brut, a chronicle of British history. Additionally, the name is found in Shakespeare's play, King Lear, where Edgar is the legitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester.

Among the notable historical figures named Edgar, one can mention Edgar Atheling (c. 1051 – c. 1126), the last male member of the Anglo-Saxon royal family and a claimant to the English throne after the Norman Conquest. Another famous Edgar was Edgar Allan Poe (1809 – 1849), the renowned American writer and poet known for his works of mystery and the macabre.

Other notable individuals with the name Edgar include Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917), the French artist famous for his paintings and sculptures depicting scenes from modern life, and Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875 – 1950), the American author best known for creating the iconic character Tarzan and the sci-fi hero John Carter.

In the realm of science, Edgar Douglas Adrian (1889 – 1977) was a British physiologist who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1932 for his work on the function of neurons.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Edgar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Edgar, please contact us.

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"Edgar first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/edgar-meaning-and-history/.

"Edgar first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/edgar-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Edgar first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/edgar-meaning-and-history/.

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