Pembroke
A masculine given name of Welsh origin meaning "outer, outward district".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Pembroke. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pembroke today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pembroke births was 1887 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pembroke. 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 Pembroke. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1887
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1887 SSA rank
#1,031
Tracked since 1887
Popularity
Pembroke: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Pembroke 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 Pembroke 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Pembroke
Pembroke is an English given name with origins in the Welsh language. The name is derived from the Welsh words "pen" meaning "head" or "principal" and "broch" meaning "badger". It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to the area of Pembrokeshire in South West Wales, which was historically known for its badger population.
The name Pembroke first appeared in written records during the 12th century, after the Norman conquest of Wales. It was often used by Anglo-Norman nobility who held lands and titles in the region of Pembrokeshire. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Pembroke was Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, who lived from 1130 to 1176.
In the 13th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in 1225. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry III of England and played a significant role in the Second Barons' War.
Another notable bearer of the name was Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, who lived from 1275 to 1324. He was a renowned military leader and served as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, a group of important English coastal towns.
In the 16th century, the name Pembroke was associated with the powerful Herbert family, who held the title of Earl of Pembroke. One of the most famous members of this family was William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, who lived from 1580 to 1630. He was a prominent patron of the arts and a close friend of William Shakespeare.
Fast forward to the 18th century, and we find Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke, who lived from 1693 to 1751. He was an influential figure in British politics and served as the Lord Privy Seal and the Lord President of the Council.
While the name Pembroke has its roots in Welsh and Norman history, it has since spread and been adopted in various parts of the English-speaking world. Despite its noble origins, it remains a relatively uncommon given name today.
People
Pembroke + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pembroke as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pembroke: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pembroke?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pembroke 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 Pembroke a common name?
We classify Pembroke 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pembroke most popular?
The single biggest year for Pembroke was 1887, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pembroke 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 Pembroke in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pembroke a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pembroke 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 Pembroke still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pembroke 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 Pembroke 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 the name Pembroke?
Find out how many people share the name Pembroke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.