Abner
Abner was given to 274 boys in 2025, #874 among boys’ names; 9,454 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 6,560 Americans named Abner and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (69% of everyone recorded); the median is 17 years old and half are between 8 and 31.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Abner by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Abner mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Abner is “a male given name from Hebrew.” Its etymology gives the sense “father of light” (אבנר).
From Hebrew אבנר (Abner, “father of light”). From אָב (av, “father”) + נור (nur, “light”).
/ˈæb.nɚ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Abner?
#874 among boys’ names, 2025
Abner rose from #1,019 in 2015 to #874 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.10 to 0.16 per 1,000.
293 babies in 2024, the peak
Abner peaked in 2024, when 293 boys were given it, #838 among boys’ names. The 274 births of 2025 are 94% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 274 | #874 | 0.16 |
| 2024 | 293 | #838 | 0.17 |
| 2023 | 221 | #997 | 0.13 |
| 2022 | 191 | #1,113 | 0.11 |
| 2021 | 215 | #1,023 | 0.12 |
| 2020 | 219 | #976 | 0.13 |
| 2019 | 183 | #1,091 | 0.10 |
| 2018 | 203 | #1,016 | 0.11 |
| 2017 | 195 | #1,029 | 0.11 |
| 2016 | 201 | #1,011 | 0.11 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 199 | #1,019 | 0.10 |
| 2014 | 202 | #1,012 | 0.11 |
| 2013 | 195 | #1,005 | 0.10 |
| 2012 | 157 | #1,161 | 0.08 |
| 2011 | 166 | #1,108 | 0.09 |
| 2010 | 162 | #1,143 | 0.08 |
| 2009 | 150 | #1,202 | 0.08 |
| 2008 | 149 | #1,188 | 0.07 |
| 2007 | 173 | #1,073 | 0.08 |
| 2006 | 156 | #1,116 | 0.08 |
| 2005 | 132 | #1,200 | 0.07 |
| 2004 | 133 | #1,170 | 0.07 |
| 2003 | 116 | #1,247 | 0.06 |
| 2002 | 115 | #1,201 | 0.06 |
| 2001 | 106 | #1,250 | 0.05 |
| 2000 | 113 | #1,194 | 0.06 |
| 1999 | 94 | #1,291 | 0.05 |
| 1998 | 68 | #1,555 | 0.04 |
| 1997 | 69 | #1,506 | 0.04 |
| 1996 | 88 | #1,255 | 0.05 |
| 1995 | 86 | #1,251 | 0.05 |
| 1994 | 62 | #1,511 | 0.03 |
| 1993 | 65 | #1,439 | 0.03 |
| 1992 | 66 | #1,391 | 0.03 |
| 1991 | 63 | #1,424 | 0.03 |
| 1990 | 66 | #1,365 | 0.03 |
| 1989 | 55 | #1,487 | 0.03 |
| 1988 | 62 | #1,303 | 0.03 |
| 1987 | 46 | #1,533 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 45 | #1,492 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 31 | #1,865 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 43 | #1,457 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 42 | #1,469 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 39 | #1,562 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 50 | #1,309 | 0.03 |
| 1980 | 41 | #1,496 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 33 | #1,711 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 35 | #1,596 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 22 | #2,131 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 33 | #1,607 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 25 | #1,883 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 24 | #1,886 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 26 | #1,736 | 0.02 |
| 1972 | 24 | #1,819 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 28 | #1,667 | 0.02 |
| 1970 | 26 | #1,698 | 0.01 |
| 1969 | 24 | #1,679 | 0.01 |
| 1968 | 35 | #1,282 | 0.02 |
| 1967 | 22 | #1,651 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 37 | #1,236 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 35 | #1,294 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 21 | #1,728 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 33 | #1,353 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 35 | #1,310 | 0.02 |
| 1961 | 33 | #1,387 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 30 | #1,462 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 26 | #1,558 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 22 | #1,676 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 33 | #1,363 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 24 | #1,607 | 0.01 |
| 1955 | 27 | #1,482 | 0.01 |
| 1954 | 19 | #1,761 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 29 | #1,407 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 25 | #1,516 | 0.01 |
| 1951 | 32 | #1,294 | 0.02 |
| 1950 | 29 | #1,339 | 0.02 |
| 1949 | 32 | #1,274 | 0.02 |
| 1948 | 33 | #1,255 | 0.02 |
| 1947 | 33 | #1,270 | 0.02 |
| 1946 | 31 | #1,256 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 31 | #1,179 | 0.02 |
| 1944 | 25 | #1,327 | 0.02 |
| 1943 | 36 | #1,140 | 0.03 |
| 1942 | 35 | #1,167 | 0.03 |
| 1941 | 38 | #1,051 | 0.03 |
| 1940 | 34 | #1,135 | 0.03 |
| 1939 | 34 | #1,103 | 0.03 |
| 1938 | 49 | #897 | 0.04 |
| 1937 | 39 | #1,016 | 0.04 |
| 1936 | 33 | #1,142 | 0.03 |
| 1935 | 37 | #1,057 | 0.04 |
| 1934 | 38 | #1,059 | 0.04 |
| 1933 | 46 | #926 | 0.05 |
| 1932 | 49 | #924 | 0.05 |
| 1931 | 46 | #974 | 0.04 |
| 1930 | 48 | #976 | 0.04 |
| 1929 | 57 | #878 | 0.05 |
| 1928 | 58 | #872 | 0.05 |
| 1927 | 54 | #937 | 0.05 |
| 1926 | 56 | #894 | 0.05 |
| 1925 | 67 | #809 | 0.06 |
| 1924 | 75 | #778 | 0.07 |
| 1923 | 83 | #711 | 0.08 |
| 1922 | 80 | #737 | 0.07 |
| 1921 | 90 | #682 | 0.08 |
| 1920 | 71 | #792 | 0.07 |
| 1919 | 89 | #649 | 0.09 |
| 1918 | 85 | #674 | 0.08 |
| 1917 | 84 | #650 | 0.09 |
| 1916 | 88 | #620 | 0.10 |
| 1915 | 94 | #587 | 0.11 |
| 1914 | 83 | #539 | 0.13 |
| 1913 | 67 | #523 | 0.13 |
| 1912 | 45 | #608 | 0.10 |
| 1911 | 15 | #855 | 0.07 |
| 1910 | 33 | #480 | 0.17 |
| 1909 | 23 | #545 | 0.14 |
| 1908 | 21 | #553 | 0.14 |
| 1907 | 16 | #634 | 0.11 |
| 1906 | 22 | #472 | 0.17 |
| 1905 | 27 | #410 | 0.20 |
| 1904 | 19 | #492 | 0.15 |
| 1903 | 20 | #470 | 0.17 |
| 1902 | 21 | #460 | 0.17 |
| 1901 | 25 | #371 | 0.23 |
| 1900 | 21 | #518 | 0.14 |
| 1899 | 18 | #438 | 0.17 |
| 1898 | 21 | #435 | 0.17 |
| 1897 | 29 | #346 | 0.26 |
| 1896 | 17 | #500 | 0.14 |
| 1895 | 16 | #501 | 0.14 |
| 1894 | 23 | #387 | 0.20 |
| 1893 | 21 | #391 | 0.19 |
| 1892 | 28 | #357 | 0.23 |
| 1891 | 19 | #397 | 0.19 |
| 1890 | 15 | #489 | 0.14 |
| 1889 | 22 | #379 | 0.20 |
| 1888 | 25 | #369 | 0.21 |
| 1887 | 18 | #392 | 0.18 |
| 1886 | 18 | #417 | 0.16 |
| 1885 | 32 | #298 | 0.30 |
| 1884 | 33 | #301 | 0.29 |
| 1883 | 27 | #318 | 0.26 |
| 1882 | 32 | #307 | 0.28 |
| 1881 | 30 | #289 | 0.30 |
| 1880 | 27 | #325 | 0.24 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Abner a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Abner has been recorded only for boys: SSA lists no girls with the name in 146 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Abner: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Abner, and how old are they?
6,560 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 69% of the 9,454 Americans ever recorded as Abner. The median Abner alive today is 17 years old; half are between 8 and 31.
The 2020 Census counted 7,461 people named Abner (50 women and girls, 7,411 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 5,427 born in the U.S. The Census count is 37% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 124 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 359 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 415 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 866 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 2,030 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 2,770 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Abner born?
The states with the most babies named Abner are Texas, California and Florida, with 34% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 30 | #856 | 1.3× |
| California | 24 | #934 | 1.2× |
| Florida | 21 | #729 | 0.9× |
| Georgia | 18 | #566 | 0.8× |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | #605 | 1.3× |
| North Carolina | 14 | #646 | 0.8× |
| Tennessee | 12 | #592 | 0.4× |
| New York | 8 | #1,300 | 0.9× |
| Maryland | 8 | #571 | 0.8× |
| Virginia | 8 | #798 | 0.5× |
Where Abner is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Abner is most over-represented in Texas: since 1910 it was given 1.3 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Abner with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Abner
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Abner and names like it
- Compare Abner and SmithBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sAbner peaked in 2024.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Abner since 1910.
- Hebrew namesWiktionary’s origin for Abner: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2024The year the most babies were named Abner.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Abner alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with AMost given first.