Spike
A diminutive form of the name "Ralph", derived from Old English names.
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the first name Spike. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Spike today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Spike births was 1958 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Spike. 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
110
~ 1 in 3,115,949 Americans
Peak year
1958
10 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,808
Tracked since 1942
Popularity
Spike: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Spike from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 38 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Spike 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 Spike 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 Spike
The name Spike has its origins in the Old English word "spic," which means a pointed object or nail. This term was later adopted into Middle English as "spiker," referring to a maker of nails or spikes. It was during this period, around the 13th century, that the name began to emerge as a nickname or descriptive name for someone associated with this trade or profession.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spike can be found in the Bury St Edmunds Chronicle from the 12th century, where a man named Spike is mentioned. However, it is unclear whether this was his given name or a nickname based on his occupation.
In the 14th century, the name Spike appeared in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1332, where a man named Spike de Steynesby is listed. This suggests that the name had gained some popularity and was being used as a given name by this time.
During the Renaissance period, the name Spike continued to be used, although it remained relatively uncommon. One notable bearer of the name was Spike Holden (c. 1585-1659), an English landowner and member of Parliament from Sussex.
In the 18th century, the name Spike gained further recognition with the birth of Spike Milligan (1918-2002), an influential British comedian, writer, and actor. Milligan's unique and comedic persona helped to popularize the name and solidify its place in popular culture.
Another famous bearer of the name was Spike Lee (born 1957), an acclaimed American filmmaker, actor, and producer known for his thought-provoking and socially conscious works. Lee's impact on the film industry has helped to further spread the name's recognition.
Other notable individuals named Spike throughout history include Spike Jonze (born 1969), an American filmmaker and actor; Spike Feresten (born 1964), an American writer and television personality; and Spike Dykes (1938-2017), a former American football coach at Texas Tech University.
While the name Spike may have originated from humble beginnings, its unique and distinctive character has allowed it to endure and gain recognition across various cultures and time periods, making it a notable and memorable name in history.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Spike
People
Spike + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Spike 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
Spike: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Spike?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 110 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Spike 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 3,115,949 US residents.
Is Spike a common name?
We classify Spike as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 128 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Spike most popular?
The single biggest year for Spike was 1958, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Spike is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Spike a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Spike 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.
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.