A 1910s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Saunders since 1912
Babies named Saunders per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 24 |
| 1920s | 45 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1940s | 30 |
| 1950s | 31 |
| 1960s | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 10 |
| 1990s | 17 |
| 2000s | 5 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s | 6 |
Meaning & origin
Saunders traces its roots as a Scottish and English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Alexander.' As a first name, it first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1912, its peak year, when it saw minimal use. The name has never ranked within the top 1,000, but it has shown a steady rise in popularity since 2022, reflecting modern parents' interest in surname-style given names. While Saunders is unisex in theory, records indicate usage is almost exclusively masculine. Its revival in the 2010s aligns with broader trends of reviving early-20th-century surname names, though it remains far less common than similar choices like Sanders or Anderson.
Saunders is a Scottish and English patronymic surname derived from the medieval personal name Saunder or Sander, a shortened form of Alexander. The name Alexander itself comes from Greek Alexandros, meaning 'defender of men.' As a given name, Saunders has been used primarily in Scotland and northern England, often to honor a family surname. Its revival in recent years reflects a broader trend of using surnames as first names.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Sandy, Saul
Variants: Saunder, Sanders
Sibling names for Saunders
Names that share Saunders's style, for a brother or sister.
