Sailor

Sailor - A very unique female name

Sailor appeared on the charts for the first time in 1999 on position #4198. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Sailor and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Sailor? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Sailor. The baby girl name Sailor was given to 150 baby girls in 2025, ranking #1159 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 8,690 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Sailor peaked in popularity 10 years ago in 2016 on position 1060.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Sailor, 1-5?

Sailor is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Sailor is currently topping the baby name charts in West Virginia at position #267 - and is the least popular in New York at position #2,371.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Sailor is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Sailor origin and meaning

English occupational word name

The English occupational word — one who sails, a mariner

Sailor is a modern occupational word name that entered girls' US data in 1999, riding the wave of trade names (Taylor, Piper, Harper) toward fresh vocabulary. It peaked in 2016 and has been falling since.

Attested etymology

Sailor is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Sailor, pop culture references for the name Sailor and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Sailor

We've found the following names that sound similar to Sailor, sorted by popularity.

Skylar / Skyler / Saylor / Schuyler / Solara / Sayler / Schyler / Skyelar / Skilar / Skylor /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Sailor

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Sailor a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Sailor?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

SAY-lor · /ˈseɪlər/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Saylor — The -y- spelling, which is more common; a separate entry.

Famous bearers

None yet — the name first appears in the data in 1999, and its oldest bearers are still young.

Style

OccupationalWord name

Why parents choose it

Sailor has a breezy, nautical charm and a can-do occupational energy that suits the Harper generation of names. The Saylor spelling is more popular, so this one is the purist's choice.

Worth knowing

• Saylor is the commoner spelling and will be assumed.
• It names a job and a uniform (sailor suit) — expect nautical comments and gifts.