Traver
An English surname derived from the Middle English "travaillier" meaning traveler.
Name Census estimates that about 277 living Americans carry the first name Traver. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Traver today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Traver births was 1988 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Traver. 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
277
~ 1 in 1,237,380 Americans
Peak year
1988
16 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2011 SSA rank
#14,170
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Traver: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Traver from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 92 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Traver 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 Traver 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 Traver
The name Traver has its origins in the Old French language and is believed to have emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the word "traveir," which means "to cross over" or "to traverse." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who lived near rivers or traveled frequently.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Traver can be found in the French city of Rouen, where a man named Traver de Rouen was mentioned in historical records from the 14th century. He was a merchant who traded goods along the Seine River, lending credence to the idea that the name was associated with travel and crossing bodies of water.
In the 15th century, a renowned scholar and humanist named Traver de Pise lived in Italy. He was a professor at the University of Pisa and is known for his translations of ancient Greek texts into Latin. His work played a significant role in the Renaissance and the spread of classical knowledge throughout Europe.
During the 16th century, a French explorer named Traver de Champlain was among the first Europeans to explore the Great Lakes region of North America. He is credited with founding the city of Quebec in 1608 and establishing several French settlements in what is now Canada.
In the 17th century, a English poet named Traver Donne gained recognition for his metaphysical poetry. His works, such as "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" and "The Canonization," explored themes of love, faith, and the human experience.
Another notable figure with the name Traver was Traver de Beauregard, a French military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a general in the Continental Army and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Siege of Yorktown in 1781.
While the name Traver may not be as common today as it once was, it has left a lasting impact on history, spanning various cultures and disciplines. From merchants and explorers to scholars and poets, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions to their respective fields.
People
Traver + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Traver as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Traver: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Traver?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 277 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Traver 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 1,237,380 US residents.
Is Traver a common name?
We classify Traver as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Traver most popular?
The single biggest year for Traver was 1988, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Traver is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Traver a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Traver 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.