Warner
A Germanic name meaning "army guard" or "army protector".
Name Census estimates that about 4,336 living Americans carry the first name Warner. It is a predominantly male name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Warner today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Warner births was 1921 (167 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Warner. 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
- • Although Warner is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 72 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
4.3K
~ 1 in 79,049 Americans
Peak year
1921
167 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,502
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Warner
Out of the 8,488 babies given the name Warner since 1880, 99.2% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Warner as a male name
- Ranked #1,502 in 2024
- 119 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1921 (167 births)
Warner as a female name
- Ranked #13,341 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1956 (7 births)
Popularity
Warner: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Warner from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 1,327 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Warner remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Warner 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 Warner during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Warners live
The SSA's state-level files cover 33 states and territories. California, Virginia, Texas recorded the most babies named Warner, while Maine, Kansas, Oregon recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 91 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Warner
The name Warner is derived from the Old English word "warnian," which means "to warn" or "to take heed." It is believed to have originated during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century.
The name was likely given to individuals whose role was to serve as lookouts or sentries, responsible for warning others of potential dangers or threats. It may have also been used as a descriptive name for someone who had a cautious or vigilant nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Warner can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is mentioned in several entries, suggesting its use was widespread across different regions of the country.
During the Middle Ages, the name Warner gained prominence as a Christian name. It was borne by several notable figures, including Warner of Rouen (c. 1030-1099), a Benedictine monk and abbot of the Abbey of St. Martin in Rouen, France, who was known for his piety and educational reforms.
Another historical figure with the name Warner was Warner of Basel (c. 1300-1358), a Swiss physician and professor of medicine at the University of Basel. He was renowned for his contributions to the field of medicine and his writings on various medical topics.
In the 16th century, Warner Wesembecius (1510-1586), a German scholar and humanist, gained recognition for his translations of ancient Greek texts and his contributions to the study of classical literature.
During the English Reformation, Warner Hyde (c. 1597-1667) was a prominent English clergyman and theologian who served as the rector of Brightwell, Berkshire. He was known for his sermons and writings defending the Church of England against Catholicism and Puritanism.
In more recent history, Warner Sallman (1892-1968) was an American painter best known for his iconic depiction of Jesus Christ titled "Head of Christ," which became one of the most widely reproduced religious paintings of the 20th century.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Warner. The name has endured for centuries and continues to be used across various cultures and regions, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Warner
People
Warner + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Warner as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Warner: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Warner?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4,336 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Warner 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 79,049 US residents.
Is Warner a common name?
We classify Warner as "Rare". It ranks above 96.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8,488 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Warner most popular?
The single biggest year for Warner was 1921, when 167 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Warner is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Warner a male name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Warner 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.