Spencer (given name)

Spencer is a given name of British origin, that means "steward" or "administrator". It is a shortened form of the English word dispenser, which derives from Anglo-French dispensour, from Old French dispenseor, from Latin dispensatorem, the agent noun of dispensare, meaning "to disperse, administer, and distribute (by weight)".[1] The name originated as the surname Spencer, but later gradually came to be used as a given name as well.

From its origin as a surname, it has been given to both males and females,[2] but it has historically been more common as a name for males.[2] According to the Social Security Administration of the United States, its popularity as a male given name began increasing steadily in the early twentieth century[2] and spiked dramatically in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.[2] Its usage peaked in 1998 with 4,619 baby boys named Spencer in that year.[2] In the late 2000s, the name's popularity for male infants declined and plateaued at between roughly 1,500 and 1,400 boys named Spencer each year.[2]

Its usage as a female given name began to gradually increase in the late 1970s before suddenly taking off in the mid-1980s.[2] Female usage of the name declined in the late 2000s,[2] but has been rising rapidly since 2009.[2] 244 baby girls were named Spencer in 2016.[2]