Travers
A masculine name of French origin meaning "one who crosses over".
Name Census estimates that about 351 living Americans carry the first name Travers. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Travers today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Travers births was 1980 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Travers. 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
351
~ 1 in 976,508 Americans
Peak year
1980
20 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2021 SSA rank
#11,996
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Travers: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Travers from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 124 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Travers 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 Travers 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 Travers
The name Travers is of Old French origin, derived from the word "traverser," meaning "to cross over" or "to travel across." It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, when travel and exploration were becoming more prevalent.
Travers was initially used as a surname, referring to individuals who worked as travelers, guides, or messengers, traversing long distances on foot or horseback. Over time, the surname gradually transitioned into a given name, particularly in France and England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Travers can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as a surname, suggesting its use predates the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
In the 13th century, Travers de Mauléon was a notable French knight who served under King Louis IX during the Seventh Crusade. He gained recognition for his bravery and leadership during the campaign in the Holy Land.
During the 15th century, a Scottish family named Travers gained prominence in the Scottish Borders region. Sir Robert Travers, born around 1440, was a renowned soldier and landowner who played a significant role in the conflicts between Scotland and England during that era.
In the 17th century, Walter Travers (1548-1635) was an English Puritan clergyman and scholar. He was a prominent figure in the Puritan movement and engaged in theological debates with Richard Hooker, advocating for further reforms within the Church of England.
Another notable figure was René-Aubert Vertot (1655-1735), a French historian and writer whose real name was René Aubert Travers. He is best known for his influential works on the history of the Knights of Malta and the revolutions in Portugal and Sweden.
In the literary world, Mary Travers (1936-2009) was an American singer-songwriter and member of the renowned folk music trio Peter, Paul, and Mary. Her distinctive alto voice and activism for social and political causes made her a prominent figure in the folk music revival of the 1960s.
These examples illustrate the diverse historical contexts in which the name Travers has been used, spanning various fields such as military, religion, literature, and music, further highlighting its enduring presence throughout the centuries.
People
Travers + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Travers 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
Travers: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Travers?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 351 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Travers 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 976,508 US residents.
Is Travers a common name?
We classify Travers as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 395 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Travers most popular?
The single biggest year for Travers was 1980, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Travers is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Travers a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Travers 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.