Waver
One who is unsteady or uncertain in movement or resolution.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Waver. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 86.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Waver today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Waver births was 1926 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Waver. 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
- • The typical person named Waver is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Wavers were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Waver. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1926
14 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1926 SSA rank
#4,813
Tracked since 1919
Gender
Gender distribution for Waver
Waver leans heavily female at 86.3% of total registrations, but 11 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Waver as a male name
- Ranked #4,813 in 1926
- 5 male births in 1926
- Peak: 1921 (6 births)
Waver as a female name
- Ranked #5,193 in 1955
- 7 female births in 1955
- Peak: 1927 (10 births)
Popularity
Waver: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Waver from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 53 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Waver 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 Waver during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Wavers live
Origin
Meaning and history of Waver
The name Waver finds its origins in the Old English language, deriving from the word "wæfre," which means "one who wanders or roams." This name surfaced during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, spanning from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as "Wæfre" or "Waefre," reflecting the Old English pronunciation. As the language evolved, the name underwent changes in spelling, eventually leading to the modern form "Waver."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waver can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as a surname, referencing an individual's occupation or characteristic as a wanderer or traveler.
In medieval times, the name Waver was sometimes associated with individuals who led a nomadic lifestyle or pursued professions that involved frequent travel, such as merchants or itinerant workers. However, it is essential to note that the name's connotations were not necessarily negative, as wandering was often a necessity for survival and trade during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Waver. One such figure was Waver the Skald (c. 1050-1120), a renowned Norse poet and storyteller who traveled extensively across Scandinavia and the British Isles, sharing tales of heroic deeds and adventures.
Another notable bearer of the name was Waver Greenwood (1542-1612), an English explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580. Greenwood's accounts of the voyage provided valuable insights into the lands and cultures they encountered.
In the realm of literature, Waver Browning (1678-1744) was a respected poet and playwright during the Restoration period in England. His works often explored themes of wanderlust and the pursuit of knowledge through travel.
During the Age of Enlightenment, Waver Montague (1712-1779) was a prominent philosopher and author who advocated for the freedom of thought and expression. His writings encouraged individuals to question societal norms and embrace the pursuit of knowledge, echoing the spirit of wandering and exploration.
Lastly, Waver Livingstone (1813-1873) was a celebrated Scottish missionary and explorer who journeyed extensively across Africa, making significant contributions to the understanding of the continent's geography, peoples, and cultures.
While the name Waver may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and associations with wandering, exploration, and the pursuit of knowledge have left an indelible mark on various cultures and traditions.
People
Waver + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Waver 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
Waver: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Waver?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Waver 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Waver a common name?
We classify Waver as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 80 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Waver most popular?
The single biggest year for Waver was 1926, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Waver is about 78 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 Waver in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Waver a female name?
Yes, 86.3% of people registered as Waver in the SSA data are female. 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 Waver still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Waver 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 Waver 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 are named Waver?
Find out how many people have the name Waver on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.