Sperry
A variant of the Middle English name Speir meaning "messenger" or "envoy".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Sperry. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sperry today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sperry births was 1947 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sperry. 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
- • The typical person named Sperry is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Sperrys were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sperry. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1947
5 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1947 SSA rank
#4,199
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Sperry: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sperry 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 Sperry during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sperry
The name Sperry is believed to be of English origin, derived from the Old English word "spere," meaning "spear." It is thought to have originated as a surname for a spear maker or someone skilled with a spear.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sperry is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Speri" and "Sperier," indicating its presence in England during the Norman period.
In the Middle Ages, the name Sperry was often associated with individuals involved in military or knightly professions, as the spear was a prominent weapon of the time. However, there are no significant historical references or mentions in religious scriptures or ancient texts specifically related to the given name Sperry.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the first name Sperry was Sperry Rand (1887-1968), an American entrepreneur and businessman who founded the Sperry Corporation, a company known for its contributions to the development of navigation and control systems for ships and aircraft.
Another prominent figure was Sperry Andrews (1926-2009), an American author and illustrator best known for his children's books, including the popular "Sperry Classics" series.
In the field of aviation, Sperry Prentice (1892-1973) was an American aviator and aircraft designer who played a crucial role in the development of early aircraft technologies.
Sperry Jones (1917-1996) was a British actor and comedian who had a successful career in television and film, appearing in popular shows like "Dad's Army" and "Steptoe and Son."
Lastly, Sperry Simmons (born 1957) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band X.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the first name Sperry, reflecting its presence and usage across various fields and time periods.
People
Sperry + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sperry 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
Sperry: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sperry?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sperry 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Sperry a common name?
We classify Sperry as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% 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 Sperry most popular?
The single biggest year for Sperry was 1947, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sperry is about 79 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 Sperry in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sperry a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sperry 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 Sperry still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sperry 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 Sperry 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 share the name Sperry?
Want to know how many people share the name Sperry? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.