Minard
A French given name derived from the Old German name Minniheart, meaning "love strength".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Minard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Minard today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Minard births was 1919 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Minard. 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
- • The typical person named Minard is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Minards were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Minard. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1919
10 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1956 SSA rank
#4,298
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Minard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Minard from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 35 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Minard 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 Minard 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 Minard
The name Minard has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old High German word "minnâri," which means "lover" or "one who loves." This name first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, in regions where Germanic languages were spoken, such as modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Minard can be found in the Codex Manesse, a 14th-century manuscript containing a collection of Middle High German poetry. The codex mentions a poet named Minard von Rappoltstein, who lived during the 13th century in the region of Alsace, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time.
In the 15th century, a French churchman named Minard Féron served as the Bishop of Mâcon from 1463 to 1483. He was known for his efforts in promoting education and establishing schools in his diocese.
During the 16th century, a German theologian and reformer named Minard Kretz played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in Nuremberg in 1504 and worked closely with Martin Luther, contributing to the translation of the Bible into German.
In the 17th century, a Dutch artist named Minard van Vianen gained recognition for his intricate metalwork and sculptures. Born in Utrecht in 1592, he was renowned for his skill in creating intricate designs in silver and gold.
Another notable figure with the name Minard was a French civil engineer and cartographer, Charles Joseph Minard, who lived from 1781 to 1870. He is best known for his pioneering work in data visualization, particularly his famous "Carte Figurative" map, which depicted Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign of 1812.
While the name Minard has its roots in Germanic languages, it has also been adopted and used in various cultures and regions over time, highlighting the global reach and diversity of names.
People
Minard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Minard 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
Minard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Minard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Minard 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Minard a common name?
We classify Minard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 79 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Minard most popular?
The single biggest year for Minard was 1919, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Minard is about 84 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Minard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Minard 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.