Declining since 2020.
Popularity of Mortimer since 1880
Babies named Mortimer per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Mortimer's real moment was 1882.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 99 |
| 1890s | 93 |
| 1900s | 97 |
| 1910s | 645 |
| 1920s | 603 |
| 1930s | 187 |
| 1940s | 75 |
| 1950s | 59 |
| 1960s | 39 |
| 1970s | 17 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 10 |
| 2020s | 19 |
Meaning & origin
Mortimer is a name with deep Norman French roots, originally a surname referring to a location named 'dead water'. It entered the English-speaking world through the influential Mortimer dynasty, which played a pivotal role in medieval English politics. In the United States, the name saw its highest usage in the 1880s, peaking in 1882, though it never ranked in the top 100 nationally. Since 2020, its trajectory has been falling, and in 2025 no births were recorded to assign a rank or one-in-N frequency. The name has a distinctly vintage, upper-crust feel, often associated with characters in literature and media, making it a choice for parents seeking an antique, distinctive name.
Mortimer is a surname of Norman French origin, derived from the place name Mortemer in Seine-Maritime, France. The place name itself comes from the Old French words 'morte' (dead) and 'mer' (sea, lake), referring to a stagnant body of water. The name was brought to England after the Norman Conquest and became prominent through the powerful Mortimer family, including Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, who was a de facto ruler of England in the 14th century. As a given name, Mortimer saw modest use in the 19th and early 20th centuries but has since declined in popularity.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Mort, Morty
Sibling names for Mortimer
Names that share Mortimer's style, for a brother or sister.
