# Buffy (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/buffy/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | not recorded |
| Meaning | not recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbʌfi/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 3,312 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 6 / 3,306 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 9, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

A pet form of Elizabeth (cf. Bethy), based on a child's unsuccessful attempts to pronounce the name. Popularized by the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 12 | 5,717 |
| 1986 | 9 | 7,202 |
| 1987 | 7 | 8,897 |
| 1988 | 6 | 10,545 |
| 1990 | 9 | 8,585 |
| 2002 | 5 | 15,843 |
| 2003 | 6 | 14,159 |
| 2005 | 5 | 16,951 |
| 2013 | 8 | 12,194 |
| 2017 | 8 | 11,851 |
| 2020 | 7 | 12,388 |
| 2021 | 7 | 12,453 |
| 2022 | 7 | 12,490 |
| 2023 | 8 | 11,367 |
| 2024 | 6 | 13,787 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 6 | 4,451 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | 5,591 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3,695 |

## People named Buffy

- Buffy-Lynne Williams, Canadian rower

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.