Mager
A diminutive form of Magnus, derived from Latin meaning "great".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Mager. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mager today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mager births was 1919 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mager. 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 Mager. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1919
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1928 SSA rank
#4,510
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Mager: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mager from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mager 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 Mager 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 Mager
The name Mager is a Germanic name that originated in the Middle Ages, likely derived from the Old German word "magar," meaning "thin" or "lean." This name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a slender physique.
The earliest recorded use of the name Mager dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various German and Swiss records. During this time, surnames were not yet common, and people were often identified by their first names or nicknames.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Mager was Mager of Regensburg, a German scholar and theologian who lived in the late 12th century. He was known for his work on biblical exegesis and his contributions to the development of scholastic theology.
In the 14th century, a German knight named Mager von Klingenberg was mentioned in several chronicles for his bravery and military exploits during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
During the Renaissance period, a Dutch painter named Mager Gerritszoon was active in the early 17th century. He was known for his portraits and religious paintings, many of which can still be found in museums and churches throughout the Netherlands.
In the 18th century, Mager Gude was a Norwegian poet and playwright who helped establish a distinct Norwegian literary tradition. His works often explored themes of national identity and folklore, and he is considered a pioneer of Norwegian literature.
Another notable figure with the name Mager was Mager Frisch, a Swiss entomologist and philosopher who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He made significant contributions to the study of insects and was one of the first scientists to recognize the importance of taxonomy in classifying living organisms.
While the name Mager has its roots in the Germanic language and culture, it has been adopted and used in various other regions over the centuries. However, it remains most prevalent in German-speaking countries and among communities with German heritage.
People
Mager + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mager as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mager: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mager?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mager 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 Mager a common name?
We classify Mager 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 Mager most popular?
The single biggest year for Mager was 1919, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mager 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 Mager in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mager a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mager 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.
Is Mager still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mager 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 Mager 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 have Mager as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.