At a glance
- In short
- Baker is an English occupational surname for a baker of bread.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #217 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 1,640 (0.089% of boys)
- Trend
- Rising #524 in 2020 to #217 in 2025
- Peak
- #217 in 2025
- Top state
- #35 in Oklahoma
- First recorded
- 1895
Meaning of Baker
Baker is an English occupational surname for someone who baked bread, from the Old English word bæcere. Today it is also given as a boy's first name, pronounced BAY-kur.
Its best-known bearer is Baker Mayfield, the American quarterback who became the first walk-on to win the Heisman Trophy, at Oklahoma, and was the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the U.S., Baker was a rare choice for most of the 20th century. It ranked 1,208th in 2016, then climbed quickly, and in 2025 it reached its highest rank yet, 217th, with 1,640 babies. It is No. 88 among the 1,000 most popular boys' names of 2025, ordered by how fast each climbed the rankings from 2016 to 2025.
How to pronounce Baker
English
- Pronounced BAY-kur /ˈbeɪkər/
Popularity of Baker in the U.S.
Baker was the #217 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 1,640 babies. It has been in the top 1,000 since 2018. It first appears in the records in 1895.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1895–2025 92 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,640 | 217 | ▲ 98 |
| 2024 | 1,091 | 315 | ▲ 82 |
| 2023 | 798 | 397 | ▲ 37 |
| 2022 | 713 | 434 | ▲ 15 |
| 2021 | 681 | 449 | ▲ 75 |
| 2020 | 544 | 524 | ▼ 51 |
| 2019 | 620 | 473 | ▲ 240 |
| 2018 | 340 | 713 | ▲ 436 |
| 2017 | 165 | 1,149 | ▲ 59 |
| 2016 | 156 | 1,208 | ▲ 545 |
| 2015 | 87 | 1,753 | ▲ 310 |
| 2014 | 68 | 2,063 | ▼ 19 |
| 2013 | 66 | 2,044 | ▲ 336 |
| 2012 | 53 | 2,380 | ▲ 23 |
| 2011 | 52 | 2,403 | ▲ 108 |
| 2010 | 49 | 2,511 | ▼ 368 |
| 2009 | 63 | 2,143 | ▲ 289 |
| 2008 | 52 | 2,432 | ▼ 398 |
| 2007 | 68 | 2,034 | ▲ 1,049 |
| 2006 | 35 | 3,083 | ▼ 718 |
| 2005 | 49 | 2,365 | ▲ 852 |
| 2004 | 30 | 3,217 | ▼ 437 |
| 2003 | 35 | 2,780 | ▲ 102 |
| 2002 | 32 | 2,882 | ▲ 439 |
| 2001 | 26 | 3,321 | ▼ 22 |
| 2000 | 25 | 3,299 | ▼ 268 |
| 1999 | 27 | 3,031 | ▲ 160 |
| 1998 | 24 | 3,191 | ▲ 1,055 |
| 1997 | 15 | 4,246 | ▼ 1,499 |
| 1996 | 27 | 2,747 | ▲ 556 |
| 1995 | 20 | 3,303 | ▲ 3,069 |
| 1994 | 8 | 6,372 | ▼ 3,675 |
| 1993 | 26 | 2,697 | ▲ 1,867 |
| 1992 | 12 | 4,564 | ▼ 1,459 |
| 1991 | 20 | 3,105 | ▲ 866 |
| 1990 | 14 | 3,971 | ▲ 300 |
| 1989 | 12 | 4,271 | ▼ 109 |
| 1988 | 11 | 4,162 | ▼ 203 |
| 1987 | 11 | 3,959 | ▼ 77 |
| 1986 | 11 | 3,882 | ▲ 1,265 |
| 1985 | 7 | 5,147 | ▼ 1,222 |
| 1984 | 10 | 3,925 | ▼ 295 |
| 1983 | 11 | 3,630 | back (not recorded in 1980–1982) |
| 1979 | 8 | 4,403 | back (not recorded in 1977–1978) |
| 1976 | 5 | 5,587 | ▼ 123 |
| 1975 | 5 | 5,464 | back (not recorded in 1974) |
| 1973 | 5 | 5,101 | back (not recorded in 1971–1972) |
| 1970 | 5 | 4,724 | back (not recorded in 1966–1969) |
| 1965 | 5 | 3,930 | back (not recorded in 1963–1964) |
| 1962 | 8 | 3,041 | back (not recorded in 1960–1961) |
| 1959 | 11 | 2,530 | back (not recorded in 1956–1958) |
| 1955 | 6 | 3,505 | ▼ 53 |
| 1954 | 6 | 3,452 | back (not recorded in 1952–1953) |
| 1951 | 5 | 3,714 | ▼ 1,134 |
| 1950 | 9 | 2,580 | ▲ 439 |
| 1949 | 7 | 3,019 | back (not recorded in 1948) |
| 1947 | 7 | 3,096 | ▼ 693 |
| 1946 | 10 | 2,403 | ▲ 593 |
| 1945 | 6 | 2,996 | ▼ 363 |
| 1944 | 8 | 2,633 | ▲ 331 |
| 1943 | 7 | 2,964 | ▼ 252 |
| 1942 | 8 | 2,712 | ▲ 421 |
| 1941 | 6 | 3,133 | ▼ 811 |
| 1940 | 10 | 2,322 | back (not recorded in 1937–1939) |
| 1936 | 9 | 2,452 | ▲ 499 |
| 1935 | 7 | 2,951 | ▼ 209 |
| 1934 | 8 | 2,742 | ▲ 526 |
| 1933 | 6 | 3,268 | ▼ 1,077 |
| 1932 | 12 | 2,191 | ▲ 673 |
| 1931 | 8 | 2,864 | ▲ 728 |
| 1930 | 6 | 3,592 | ▼ 826 |
| 1929 | 9 | 2,766 | ▲ 1,385 |
| 1928 | 5 | 4,151 | ▼ 1,958 |
| 1927 | 14 | 2,193 | ▲ 373 |
| 1926 | 11 | 2,566 | ▼ 477 |
| 1925 | 15 | 2,089 | ▲ 934 |
| 1924 | 9 | 3,023 | ▼ 1,003 |
| 1923 | 16 | 2,020 | ▲ 220 |
| 1922 | 14 | 2,240 | ▲ 136 |
| 1921 | 13 | 2,376 | ▼ 324 |
| 1920 | 16 | 2,052 | ▲ 459 |
| 1919 | 11 | 2,511 | ▼ 513 |
| 1918 | 16 | 1,998 | ▲ 190 |
| 1917 | 13 | 2,188 | ▲ 989 |
| 1916 | 7 | 3,177 | ▼ 1,470 |
| 1915 | 17 | 1,707 | ▲ 268 |
| 1914 | 11 | 1,975 | back (not recorded in 1913) |
| 1912 | 9 | 1,746 | back (not recorded in 1905–1911) |
| 1904 | 5 | 1,205 | back (not recorded in 1901–1903) |
| 1900 | 5 | 1,310 | ▼ 382 |
| 1899 | 6 | 928 | back (not recorded in 1896–1898) |
| 1895 | 5 | 1,079 | new |
Baker by state
Baker ranks #35 in Oklahoma (2025).
Rank by state 42 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 35 | 84 |
| North Dakota | 61 | 17 |
| Nebraska | 63 | 36 |
| Kansas | 74 | 46 |
| South Dakota | 77 | 15 |
| Iowa | 92 | 39 |
| Wisconsin | 104 | 57 |
| Alabama | 116 | 45 |
| Missouri | 119 | 60 |
| Arkansas | 120 | 29 |
| West Virginia | 127 | 15 |
| Indiana | 131 | 63 |
| Tennessee | 140 | 67 |
| Minnesota | 143 | 45 |
| Montana | 149 | 9 |
| Idaho | 150 | 18 |
| Michigan | 166 | 60 |
| Washington | 166 | 51 |
| Maine | 172 | 7 |
| Louisiana | 174 | 29 |
| North Carolina | 175 | 71 |
| Kentucky | 180 | 31 |
| Utah | 185 | 29 |
| Ohio | 198 | 64 |
| Mississippi | 201 | 15 |
| Georgia | 217 | 56 |
| Colorado | 221 | 29 |
| South Carolina | 224 | 25 |
| Virginia | 234 | 37 |
| Oregon | 247 | 17 |
| Florida | 250 | 82 |
| Texas | 257 | 153 |
| Illinois | 268 | 41 |
| Pennsylvania | 290 | 39 |
| Arizona | 321 | 24 |
| Nevada | 389 | 7 |
| Massachusetts | 467 | 10 |
| Connecticut | 498 | 5 |
| California | 537 | 57 |
| Maryland | 634 | 7 |
| New York | 661 | 22 |
| New Jersey | 766 | 8 |
Notable people named Baker
- Baker Mayfield is an American quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who became the first walk on to win the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and was the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.