Boy name · Germanic
Norman
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: north manNorman is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "north man". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- North man
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1200 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Norman
As a boy's name, Norman comes from Germanic and means "north man". It is used in English and Scottish.
Norman is also a surname: the 514th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 63,944 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Norman on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Norman on 4 lists.
“For a cautious cat who prefers a quiet routine”
From Boy cat names, human names for boy cats
“Polite, punctual and slightly suspicious of the mail carrier”
From Boy dog names, human names for boy dogs
“A sensible name for a sensible desktop”
From Funny computer names, funny names for a computer
“North man; Germanic. Norm for short”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Norman?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,200
- 169 babies, 99 per million boys
- Best rank
- #36 in 1931
- Most babies: 5,590 in 1928
- Babies since 1880
- At least 253,160
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,127 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,657 per million |
| 1900s | 2,341 per million |
| 1910s | 3,750 per million |
| 1920s | 4,480 per million |
| 1930s | 4,731 per million |
| 1940s | 2,832 per million |
| 1950s | 1,669 per million |
| 1960s | 1,181 per million |
| 1970s | 599 per million |
| 1980s | 317 per million |
| 1990s | 177 per million |
| 2000s | 104 per million |
| 2010s | 85 per million |
| 2020s | 93 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,078 | #1,119 | #1,205 | #1,199 | #1,128 | #1,167 | #1,195 | #1,364 | #1,311 | #1,200 |
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 Norman
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- NolanFrom an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- NorbertBright north (Germanic, boy)
- KuzeyNorth (Turkish, boy)
- MaurizioMoorish, North African (Latin, boy)
- MauroMoorish, North African (Latin, boy)
- MeirionNamed for a historic county of north Wales (Welsh, boy)
- NorbertoBright north (Germanic, boy)
- PoyrazNorth wind (Turkish, boy)
Middle names for Norman
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
Norman: common questions
What does the name Norman mean?
Norman comes from Germanic and means "north man".
Is Norman a boy or girl name?
Norman is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Norman come from?
Norman comes from Germanic and means "north man". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Norman?
Norman ranked #1,200 in the US in 2025, with 169 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Norman?
Names spelled like Norman include Nolan.
What middle names go with Norman?
Middle names that flow well with Norman include Beau, Clark, Drake, Eli and Grant. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.