The first name Amber
A girl’s name from French meaning “ambergris”.
Pronounced /ˈæm.bɚ/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
French origin
Amber means “ambergris” in French.
From amber, from Middle English ambre, from Old French ambre, from Latin ambar, from Arabic عَنْبَر (ʕanbar, “ambergris”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 302 girls were named Amber, making it the 164th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1998, with 1,701 births (#31).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Amber with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Amber at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 576 girls born in the United States were named Amber, the 520th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1986, when 16,954 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Amber in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Amber in Dutch and German too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Amber
45 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Amber HeardAmerican actress, born 1986
- Amber VallettaAmerican model and actress, born 1974
- Amber BensonAmerican actress, born 1977
- Amber TamblynAmerican actress and writer, born 1983
- Amber RuddBritish politician (born 1963)
- Amber RileyAmerican actress and singer, born 1986
- Amber MidthunderAmerican actress, born 1997
- Amber RayneAmerican pornographic actress (1984–2016)
- Amber MontanaAmerican child actress, born 1998
- Amber EnglishAmerican sport shooter, born 1989
- Amber Stevens WestAmerican actress and model, born 1986
- Amber GlennAmerican figure skater, born 1999
More French girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Amber mean?
- Amber means “ambergris” in French.
- What is the origin of the name Amber?
- From amber, from Middle English ambre, from Old French ambre, from Latin ambar, from Arabic عَنْبَر (ʕanbar, “ambergris”).
- How popular is the name Amber?
- In 2025, 302 girls born in England and Wales were named Amber, ranking 164th. Its peak was 1998, with 1,701 births.
- Is Amber a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 375,668 US babies named Amber since 1880 were girls.
- When was Amber most popular?
- 1986 in the United States, when 16,954 babies were named Amber, its highest rank at 13th.
- How do you pronounce Amber?
- Amber is /ˈæm.bɚ/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Amber?
- Ambar.
- Is Amber also a surname?
- Yes. Amber is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.