Weir
A word with an uncertain origin, likely from the Old English word 'wer' meaning dam or barrier.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Weir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Weir today is around 133 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Weir births was 1923 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Weir. 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 Weir is about 133 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Weirs were born before 1903.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Weir. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1923
10 babies that year
Average age
133
years old
1929 SSA rank
#3,241
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Weir: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Weir from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 23 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Weir 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 Weir 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 Weir
The name Weir has its roots in Old English, originating from the word "wer," which means "man" or "warrior." It was a common name in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century.
The earliest known record of the name Weir dates back to the 9th century, where it appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an annual record of important events in England. The name was particularly popular among the nobility and warrior class of the time.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Weir was Weir the Younger, a Northumbrian nobleman who lived in the 10th century. He is mentioned in several medieval chronicles for his bravery and leadership during the Viking invasions of England.
In the 12th century, a monk named Weir of Malmesbury wrote a significant historical work called "Gesta Regum Anglorum" (Deeds of the English Kings), which chronicled the lives of English monarchs from the Anglo-Saxon period to the reign of King Henry I.
During the Middle Ages, the name Weir was also associated with various religious figures, including Weir of Canterbury, a 13th-century archbishop who played a crucial role in resolving disputes between the Church and the English Crown.
In the 16th century, Sir Weir Carew was a prominent English soldier and statesman who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was renowned for his military exploits against the Irish rebels and his diplomatic efforts in Ireland.
Another notable figure was Weir Vere, an English explorer and navigator who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his famous circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580. Vere's accounts of the voyage provided valuable insights into the cultures and lands they encountered.
Overall, the name Weir has a rich history rooted in the warrior culture of Anglo-Saxon England, and it has been borne by notable figures in various fields, including religion, literature, exploration, and military service.
People
Weir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Weir 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
Weir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Weir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Weir 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Weir a common name?
We classify Weir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 46 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Weir most popular?
The single biggest year for Weir was 1923, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Weir is about 133 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 Weir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Weir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Weir 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 Weir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Weir 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 Weir 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 called Weir?
You can see how many people share the name Weir on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.