Soldier
A name referring to one who serves in an army or military force.
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Soldier. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Soldier today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Soldier births was 2018 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Soldier. 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 Soldier. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
2018
8 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2021 SSA rank
#11,932
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Soldier: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Soldier from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 8 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Soldier remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Soldier 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 Soldier during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Soldier
The given name Soldier has its origins in the Late Latin word "soldarius," which literally translates to "one having solidi," referring to the payment soldiers received during the Roman Empire. The name gained prominence as a moniker for those who served in the military, particularly during the medieval and Renaissance periods.
The earliest recorded use of Soldier as a first name can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and records across Europe. During the Crusades, it became a popular choice for parents who wished to honor their sons' service or express their hope for a life of valor and bravery.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Soldier was a French knight, Soldier de Montfort, who lived from 1160 to 1218. He played a significant role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France, and his exploits were recorded in various chronicles of the time.
In the 15th century, Soldier Brewster, an English soldier and explorer, was born in 1490. He gained fame for his expeditions to the Americas and his role in the colonization efforts of the New World. His name became a symbol of adventure and exploration during this era of discovery.
During the English Civil War of the 17th century, Soldier Cromwell (1599-1658) rose to prominence as a prominent military leader and later became the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His name embodied the ideals of strength, determination, and unwavering commitment to a cause.
In the 18th century, Soldier Jones (1721-1792) was a Welsh soldier and adventurer who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. His exploits and bravery in battle earned him a reputation as a fearless warrior, and his name became synonymous with courage and resilience.
During the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, Soldier Augereau (1757-1816) was a French military commander who rose through the ranks to become a Marshal of the Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte. His name became a symbol of loyalty, strategic brilliance, and unwavering service to the French Empire.
These are just a few examples of individuals who carried the name Soldier throughout history, each contributing to its significance and association with valor, bravery, and a life dedicated to military service.
People
Soldier + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Soldier 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
Soldier: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Soldier?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Soldier 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Soldier a common name?
We classify Soldier as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Soldier most popular?
The single biggest year for Soldier was 2018, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Soldier is about 7 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 Soldier in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Soldier a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Soldier 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 Soldier still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Soldier 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 Soldier 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 Soldier?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.