Sigourney
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a French surname.
Name Census estimates that about 380 living Americans carry the first name Sigourney. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sigourney today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sigourney births was 1989 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sigourney. 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.
People living today
380
~ 1 in 901,985 Americans
Peak year
1989
43 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,285
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Sigourney: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sigourney from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 161 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sigourney 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 Sigourney during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sigourneys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sigourney
The name Sigourney is derived from the French surname Sigournay, which is a place name referring to the commune of Sigournais in the Vendée department of western France. The name is thought to have originated from the Gaulish word "segora," meaning "strength" or "victory."
The name Sigourney first gained popularity in the English-speaking world in the late 18th century, likely due to the influence of French culture and literature. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Sigourney Thrall, an American author and educator born in 1791.
In the 19th century, the name Sigourney became associated with several notable American figures. Sigourney Butler, born in 1828, was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. Sigourney Webster, born in 1835, was a prominent architect who designed several buildings in New York City.
The most famous bearer of the name Sigourney is arguably the American actress Sigourney Weaver, known for her roles in films such as Alien, Ghostbusters, and Avatar. She was born in 1949 and continues to be a influential figure in Hollywood.
Another notable Sigourney is Sigourney Cheek, an American artist and sculptor born in 1908. Her works are featured in several museums and public collections across the United States.
In the literary world, Sigourney Thayer was an American novelist and short story writer who lived from 1888 to 1978. Her works often explored themes of social injustice and women's rights.
While the name Sigourney has French origins, it has been adopted and embraced by people of various cultural backgrounds, particularly in the United States. Its unique sound and historical significance have contributed to its enduring appeal as a given name.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sigourney
People
Sigourney + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sigourney 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
Sigourney: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sigourney?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 380 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sigourney 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 901,985 US residents.
Is Sigourney a common name?
We classify Sigourney as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 392 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sigourney most popular?
The single biggest year for Sigourney was 1989, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sigourney is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sigourney a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sigourney in the SSA data are female. 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.