Ward
Ward: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /wɔːd/ · /wɔɹd/
Meaning and origin of Ward
Root meaning: “son of the poet”
- An English male given name.
Etymology
As an English surname, from the noun ward and related cognates such as warden, guard etc. * As an Irish surname, reduced from McWard, from mac an bard (“son of the poet”). * As a Jewish surname, adapted from Warshawski, named after Warsaw. Comparable to Warszawski. * As a French surname, Americanized from Guerin.
How popular is Ward?
Since 1880, 98 girls and 15,026 boys in the U.S. have been named Ward (1% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #5142 in 1916. Its highest rank for boys was #243 in 1899. In 2025, 58 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Names similar to Ward
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
Sibling name ideas for Ward
Names that peaked around the same time as Ward and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
Ward FAQ
What does the name Ward mean?
Ward traces back to a root meaning "son of the poet". An English male given name. As an English surname, from the noun ward and related cognates such as warden, guard etc. * As an Irish surname, reduced from McWard, from mac an bard (“son of the poet”). * As a Jewish surname, adapted from Warshawski, named after Warsaw. Comparable to Warszawski. * As a French surname, Americanized from Guerin.
How popular is the name Ward?
Since 1880, 98 girls and 15,026 boys in the U.S. have been named Ward (1% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #5142 in 1916. Its highest rank for boys was #243 in 1899. In 2025, 58 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Is Ward a boy or girl name?
Ward is mostly a boy name in the U.S.: 98 girls and 15,026 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.