Scholar
A student of a particular subject or multiple branches of knowledge.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Scholar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Scholar today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Scholar births was 2012 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Scholar. 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 Scholar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2012
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,796
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Scholar: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Scholar 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 Scholar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Scholar
The given name Scholar is of English origin, derived from the medieval Latin word "scholaris," meaning a student, scholar, or person associated with a school or place of learning. It first emerged during the Middle Ages, a period of intellectual and cultural revival in Europe.
In the early days, the name was often bestowed upon individuals who were dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, either as students or teachers. It carried a sense of intellectual curiosity and a commitment to education, reflecting the growing emphasis on learning during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scholar can be found in the historical records of Oxford University, dating back to the 13th century. The name appeared in various academic documents and registries, highlighting its association with the academic community.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Scholar. One such individual was Scholar William of Ockham (c. 1287-1347), an English Franciscan friar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of logic and theology. His ideas, known as Occam's Razor, had a profound impact on Western thought.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Scholar Erasmus (c. 1466-1536), a Dutch Renaissance scholar and humanist who played a crucial role in the intellectual and cultural movements of his time. His works, such as "The Praise of Folly," critiqued the societal norms and encouraged the pursuit of knowledge.
In the 16th century, Scholar Thomas More (1478-1535), an English lawyer, philosopher, and statesman, gained recognition for his literary works, including "Utopia," which envisioned an idealized society based on reason and morality.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Scholar John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), a British philosopher and political economist, made significant contributions to the fields of economics, ethics, and political theory. His writings, such as "On Liberty" and "Utilitarianism," had a lasting impact on Western thought.
Another notable figure was Scholar W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), an African American sociologist, historian, and civil rights activist. He played a pivotal role in the intellectual and political movements of his time, advocating for racial equality and promoting the advancement of African Americans through education and empowerment.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the name Scholar throughout history, each making their mark in various fields of study, scholarship, and intellectual pursuits.
People
Scholar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Scholar as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Scholar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Scholar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Scholar 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 Scholar a common name?
We classify Scholar 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, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Scholar most popular?
The single biggest year for Scholar was 2012, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Scholar is about 10 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 Scholar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Scholar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Scholar 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 Scholar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Scholar 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 Scholar 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 common is the name Scholar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.