Unisex name · English
Cedar
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: fragrant evergreen treeCedar is a gender-neutral name that comes from English and means "fragrant evergreen tree". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Fragrant evergreen tree
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #2827 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Cedar
As a boy's name, Cedar comes from English and means "fragrant evergreen tree". It is used in English.
As a gender-neutral name, Cedar comes from Greek and means "cedar tree". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Cedar on our nature names list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Cedar on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Cedar on 5 lists.
“A fragrant evergreen of the backwoods”
From Redneck names for boys, outdoorsy country boy names
“Fragrant evergreen tree; English. Fresh and woodsy”
From Boy middle names, nature middle names for boys
“A warm, woodsy name for a sturdy cat”
From Cat names, nature cat names
“Fragrant, sturdy and very outdoorsy”
From Beaver names, woodland and river beaver names
“English word name for the fragrant evergreen, from Greek kedros”
From Nature names, tree and forest names
How popular is Cedar?
In 2025, 60 girls and 160 boys in the US were named Cedar.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #2,827
- 60 babies, 37 per million girls
- Best rank
- #2,259 in 2022
- 83 babies that year
- Babies since 1974
- At least 1,462
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 4 per million |
| 1980s | 6 per million |
| 1990s | 8 per million |
| 2000s | 14 per million |
| 2010s | 26 per million |
| 2020s | 46 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,722 | #2,971 | #3,257 | #2,863 | #2,347 | #2,515 | #2,259 | #2,274 | #2,393 | #2,827 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #1,244
- 160 babies, 94 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,125 in 2022
- 188 babies that year
- Babies since 1972
- At least 2,629
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 5 per million |
| 1980s | 5 per million |
| 1990s | 7 per million |
| 2000s | 17 per million |
| 2010s | 53 per million |
| 2020s | 95 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,331 | #1,324 | #1,263 | #1,190 | #1,201 | #1,246 | #1,125 | #1,248 | #1,190 | #1,244 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Cedar
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- CiarBlack, dark (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- ÇınarPlane tree (Persian, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- OliverOlive tree (Latin, boy)
- DaphneLaurel tree (Greek, girl)
- HadassahMyrtle tree (Hebrew, girl)
- IlanTree (Hebrew, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- OliveTree of peace (Latin, girl)
- OlivierOlive tree (Latin, boy)
- RoseFragrant garden flower (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Cedar
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AbigailMy father is joy (Hebrew, girl)
- JosephineHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
- MercyCompassion, forgiveness (Latin, girl)
- NiamhBright, radiant (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
- VioletViolet flower (Latin, girl)
- WalkerCloth fuller (English, boy)
- WalterRuler of the army (Germanic, boy)
More names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- ArmstrongStrong in the arm (English, boy)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
Cedar: common questions
What does the name Cedar mean?
Cedar comes from English and means "fragrant evergreen tree". It also has another origin: "cedar tree" from Greek.
Is Cedar a boy or girl name?
Cedar is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 60 girls and 160 boys in the US were named Cedar, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Cedar come from?
Cedar comes from English and means "fragrant evergreen tree". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Cedar?
Cedar ranked #2,827 in the US in 2025, with 60 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Cedar?
Names spelled like Cedar include Ciar and Çınar.
What middle names go with Cedar?
Middle names that flow well with Cedar include Abigail, Josephine, Mercy, Niamh and Sebastian. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.