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The first name Homer

A boy’s name from Greek.

Pronounced /ˈhoʊməɹ/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

Meaning and origin

Greek origin

From Latin Homērus, from Ancient Greek Ὅμηρος (Hómēros).

From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Popularity in the United States

Babies named Homer at birth, 1880–2025

In 2025, 21 boys born in the United States were named Homer, the 4,769th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 1,722 were.

01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
61,279
babies named Homer since 1880
#4,769
rank in 2025
1920
peak year

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.

Homer in other languages

Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

هُومِيرُوس
humirus
Arabic
Հոմերոս
Homeros
Armenian
О́мир
Ómir
Bulgarian, also Омир
荷馬 /荷马
Hémǎ
Chinese
Homér
Czech
Homerus
Dutch
Homero
Esperanto
Homeros
Finnish
Homère
French, also Omer
Όμηρος
Ómiros
Greek
Hómer
Icelandic
Hóiméar
Irish
Omero
Italian
ホメロス
Homerosu
Japanese
호메로스
Homeroseu
Korean
Homērus
Latin
Homero
Portuguese
Гоме́р
Gomɛ́r
Russian
Homero
Spanish
Homeros
Swedish
Homeros
Turkish

Spelled Homer in Catalan and German too.

Famous people named Homer

18 on Wikidata, most written-about first

  • Nathan Homer Knorr
    American Watch Tower Society president (1905–1977)
  • Homer Hickam
    American author and engineer (born 1943)
  • Homer Stille Cummings
    American politician (1870-1956)
  • Homer Burton Adkins
    American chemist (1892-1949)
  • Jonathan Homer Lane
    American astronomer (1819-1880)
  • Homer H. Dubs
    American sinologist (1892-1969)
  • Robert Homer Simpson
    American meteorologist (1912–2014)
  • Homer Bailey
    Baseball player from the United States, born 1986
  • Homer S. Ferguson
    American politician (1889-1982)
  • Homer Martin Adkins
    32nd Governor of Arkansas (1890–1964)
  • Homer Lea
    American adventurer and writer (1876–1912)
  • Homer Taylor
    American archer (1851-1933)

More Greek boys’ names

Questions

What does the name Homer mean?
From Latin Homērus, from Ancient Greek Ὅμηρος (Hómēros).
What is the origin of the name Homer?
From Latin Homērus, from Ancient Greek Ὅμηρος (Hómēros).
Is Homer a boy's or a girl's name?
Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 61,279 US babies named Homer since 1880 were boys.
When was Homer most popular?
1920 in the United States, when 1,722 babies were named Homer, its highest rank at 100th.
How do you pronounce Homer?
Homer is /ˈhoʊməɹ/, 2 syllables.
Is Homer also a surname?
Yes. Homer is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.