Springer
A German name meaning "one who leaps" or "one who springs".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Springer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Springer today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Springer births was 2018 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Springer. 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 Springer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2018
6 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#11,942
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Springer: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Springer 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 Springer 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 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Springer
The given name Springer traces its origins to the German language and culture, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "springaere," meaning "one who leaps or jumps." This term was initially used to refer to acrobats, dancers, or entertainers who performed leaping or jumping feats.
During the Middle Ages, the name Springer was commonly used as a descriptive surname or byname for individuals associated with these professions. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, particularly in German-speaking regions of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Springer can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae," a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name is mentioned in reference to a man named Johannes Springer, who lived during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Springer. One such example is Cornelius Springer (1817-1891), a Dutch-American farmer and politician who served as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1873 to 1877. Another prominent figure was Anton Springer (1825-1891), a German art historian and professor at the University of Leipzig, known for his contributions to the study of Renaissance art.
In the realm of literature, Norman Springer (1915-1994) was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his works exploring the lives of working-class characters in the American West. His most famous novel, "Calhoun," published in 1966, received critical acclaim.
The name Springer also has ties to the world of sports. Max Springer (1877-1954) was a German gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, where he won a silver medal in the team competition.
Another notable figure was Axel Springer (1912-1985), a German publisher and founder of the Axel Springer SE media company, one of the largest publishing houses in Europe. His contributions to the German press and media industry were significant, and the company continues to bear his name.
While the name Springer has its roots in the German language and culture, it has since gained popularity and usage in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with German cultural influences or immigration.
People
Springer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Springer 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
Springer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Springer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Springer 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Springer a common name?
We classify Springer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Springer most popular?
The single biggest year for Springer was 2018, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Springer is about 8 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 Springer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Springer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Springer 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 Springer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Springer 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 Springer 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 Springer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.