Girl name · Old English
Fern
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: leafy woodland plantFern is a girl's name that comes from Old English and means "leafy woodland plant". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Leafy woodland plant
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1220 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Fern
As a girl's name, Fern comes from Old English and means "leafy woodland plant". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Fern on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Fern on 7 lists.
“A soft, green name for a gentle cat who hides in plants”
From Cat names, nature cat names
“Soft, green and gentle”
From Girl dog names, flower and nature names for girl dogs
“Leafy woodland plant; Old English. Green and gentle”
From Girl middle names, flower and nature middle names
“A soft green name for a hillside grazer”
From Highland cattle names, cute Highland cow names
“Soft green name for a gentle beaver”
From Beaver names, woodland and river beaver names
“English word name for the feathery woodland plant”
From Nature names, nature names for girls
“Leafy woodland plant; Old English. Charlotte's Web's kind-hearted girl”
From Vintage girl names, vintage flower, plant and gemstone names
How popular is Fern?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,220
- 186 babies, 116 per million girls
- Best rank
- #152 in 1916
- Most babies: 1,341 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 37,666
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 331 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 872 per million |
| 1900s | 961 per million |
| 1910s | 1,134 per million |
| 1920s | 858 per million |
| 1930s | 429 per million |
| 1940s | 194 per million |
| 1950s | 115 per million |
| 1960s | 54 per million |
| 1970s | 19 per million |
| 1980s | 10 per million |
| 1990s | 5 per million |
| 2000s | 9 per million |
| 2010s | 41 per million |
| 2020s | 98 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,213 | #2,206 | #1,660 | #1,867 | #1,565 | #1,500 | #1,481 | #1,422 | #1,252 | #1,220 |
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 Fern
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- FemiGod loves me, short for Olufemi (Yoruba, unisex)
- FennaFeminine of Fen, from an element meaning peace (Germanic, girl)
- FerayBrilliant moon (Turkish, girl)
- FienHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- LinusFlax plant (Greek, boy)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- LinneaTwinflower, a woodland flower (Swedish, girl)
- ForestWoodland (English, boy)
- GaranceMadder plant, used for red dye (French, girl)
- IvyIvy plant (Old English, girl)
- MyrtoMyrtle plant (Greek, girl)
- NetaPlant, sapling (Hebrew, unisex)
- RotemA desert broom plant (Hebrew, unisex)
Middle names for Fern
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Old English
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
- ÆlfflædElf beauty (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfgifuElf gift (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfthrythElf strength (Old English, girl)
Fern: common questions
What does the name Fern mean?
Fern comes from Old English and means "leafy woodland plant".
Is Fern a boy or girl name?
Fern is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Fern come from?
Fern comes from Old English and means "leafy woodland plant". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Fern?
Fern ranked #1,220 in the US in 2025, with 186 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Fern?
Names spelled like Fern include Femi, Fenna, Feray and Fien.
What middle names go with Fern?
Middle names that flow well with Fern include Agnes, Estelle, Louise, Marigold and Prudence. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.