# Fletcher (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/fletcher/  
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 | boys |
| Origin | not recorded |
| Meaning | “arrow-maker” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈflɛt͡ʃɚ/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | Fletch |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 17,644 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 17,419 / 225 (1% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 3,973, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

English occupational surname from the noun fletcher (“arrow-maker”). Sometimes confused with Flesher.

## 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 5 | 4,432 |
| 1940 | 5 | 4,573 |
| 1944 | 6 | 4,216 |
| 1949 | 5 | 5,502 |
| 2007 | 5 | 18,550 |
| 2015 | 7 | 13,472 |
| 2017 | 5 | 16,692 |
| 2018 | 6 | 14,397 |
| 2019 | 10 | 9,982 |
| 2020 | 12 | 8,573 |
| 2021 | 15 | 7,385 |
| 2022 | 8 | 11,557 |
| 2023 | 10 | 9,845 |
| 2024 | 19 | 6,244 |
| 2025 | 12 | 8,530 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 232 | 889 |
| 2012 | 285 | 793 |
| 2013 | 287 | 783 |
| 2014 | 341 | 708 |
| 2015 | 387 | 665 |
| 2016 | 403 | 654 |
| 2017 | 410 | 633 |
| 2018 | 445 | 606 |
| 2019 | 434 | 624 |
| 2020 | 404 | 654 |
| 2021 | 414 | 657 |
| 2022 | 405 | 674 |
| 2023 | 440 | 630 |
| 2024 | 526 | 564 |
| 2025 | 549 | 547 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 224 | 220 |
| 2012 | 237 | 220 |
| 2013 | 201 | 248 |
| 2014 | 251 | 225 |
| 2015 | 250 | 228 |
| 2016 | 241 | 233 |
| 2017 | 225 | 239 |
| 2018 | 206 | 250 |
| 2019 | 166 | 293 |
| 2020 | 149 | 308 |
| 2021 | 135 | 337 |
| 2022 | 113 | 375 |
| 2023 | 98 | 406 |
| 2024 | 95 | 422 |
| 2025 | 104 | 395 |

## People named Fletcher

- Fletcher Henderson, American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer (1897–1952)
- Henry Fletcher Hance, British diplomat and botanist (1827-1886)
- Fletcher Pratt, American military historian and fantasy writer (1897–1956)
- Fletcher Cox, American football player (born 1990)
- Fletcher Knebel, American novelist, journalist (1911-1993)
- Fletcher Thompson, American politician (1925–2022)
- Fletcher Markle, actor, screenwriter, television producer, television and film director (1921-1991)
- Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, British politician
- Fletcher Steele, American architect
- Fletcher Benton, American artist (1931-2019)
- L. Fletcher Prouty, American banker
- Charles Fletcher Lummis, American historian, photographer, and activist (1859–1928)

## 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.