Find out how popular the first name Sailor has been for the last 27 years (from 1997 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Sailor by gender

Based on the last 27 years of data, Sailor is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 84% of people named Sailor being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 230 female babies and 30 male babies born with the name Sailor.

The history of the first name Sailor

The name Sailor is an English given name derived from the occupation of a sailor or seafarer. It has its origins in the Middle English word "saillour," which in turn comes from the Old French word "saillier," meaning "to leap or spring forth." This is likely a reference to the leaping and springing motion of sailing ships on the waves.

The name Sailor first gained popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries, during the Age of Sail and the golden age of maritime exploration and trade. It was often given to boys born into seafaring families or coastal communities, as a nod to the family's maritime heritage or the importance of the sea in their lives.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sailor can be found in the ship's logs of the British Royal Navy in the late 17th century. A sailor named Sailor Thomas is mentioned in the logs of the HMS Defiance in 1692, serving under the command of Captain Richard Shuttleworth.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals bore the name Sailor. Sailor Bunbury (1779-1857) was a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. Sailor Jack (1805-1880), whose full name was John Woodbine, was a famous American sailor and whaler from Nantucket, Massachusetts.

In the 20th century, the name Sailor gained broader cultural significance. Sailor Jerry (1911-1973), born Norman Keith Collins, was an American naval officer and tattoo artist who is credited with reviving and popularizing traditional American tattooing in the mid-20th century. Sailor Moon, the protagonist of the popular Japanese manga and anime series of the same name, debuted in 1992 and further popularized the name in Japanese popular culture.

Another notable individual with the name Sailor is Sailor Perue (1921-2022), an American World War II veteran and one of the last surviving Navajo Code Talkers, who used their native Navajo language to transmit coded messages during the war.

While the name Sailor is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a strong connection to the maritime heritage and seafaring traditions of many cultures around the world.

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 Sailor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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