Mr
A title used before a man's surname or full name.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Mr. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mr today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mr births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mr. 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 Mr. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,795
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Mr: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mr 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 Mr during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mr
Mr is a title derived from the English word "master", which in turn comes from the Latin "magister". It has been used as a title of respect since the 14th century, primarily for men of a certain social rank or status.
The earliest recorded use of the title "Mr" dates back to the late 16th century, when it began to replace the older titles "Master" and "Goodman". It was initially used as a form of address for gentlemen, landowners, and those with some degree of authority or wealth.
One of the earliest notable individuals referred to as "Mr" was Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), a renowned English philosopher, writer, and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor under King Henry VIII. He was addressed as "Mr More" in many contemporary records and writings.
Another prominent figure associated with the title "Mr" was William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the celebrated English poet and playwright. He is often referred to as "Mr Shakespeare" in historical documents and records from his time.
In the 17th century, the title "Mr" became more widely used and adopted by the growing middle class in England. It was seen as a respectable form of address, distinct from the more formal titles reserved for nobility or the clergy.
One example of a notable individual from this period who bore the title "Mr" was Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), the famous English diarist and naval administrator. His detailed diaries provide invaluable insights into 17th-century English society and his contemporaries' use of the title "Mr".
As the use of "Mr" spread beyond England to other parts of the English-speaking world, it became a common form of address for men of various professions and backgrounds. One notable American figure who was referred to as "Mr" was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), the renowned statesman, inventor, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
Throughout its history, the title "Mr" has been associated with numerous influential individuals across various fields, reflecting its widespread adoption as a respectful form of address for men in English-speaking societies.
People
Mr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mr 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
Mr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mr 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Mr a common name?
We classify Mr as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mr most popular?
The single biggest year for Mr was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mr is about 31 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 Mr in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mr a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mr 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 Mr still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mr 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 Mr 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 Mr?
Want to know how many people have the name Mr? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.