Parker is a surname of English origin that has been widely used as a given name in recent years. The name is derived from the Old English word "parc", which means "park". Therefore, Parker originally referred to someone who lived or worked near a park.
The use of Parker as a given name became popular in the United States during the mid-20th century. It was often chosen by parents who were looking for a strong and distinctive name for their sons. Today, Parker remains a popular choice among American parents, although it is also used in other countries around the world.
One famous bearer of the name Parker is the American actor and musician Johnny Parker, who was born in 1938 and rose to fame in the 1960s as part of the duo "Simon & Garfunkel". Another notable figure with the name Parker is the British philosopher and historian Anthony Ashley Cooper, better known by his title as the Third Earl of Shaftesbury. He was born in 1671 and is remembered for his influential writings on aesthetics and morality.
In literature, Parker also appears as a character's surname in several works, including Dashiell Hammett's detective novel "The Maltese Falcon" and Gillian Flynn's psychological thriller "Gone Girl". The name has been used in various forms of media, from movies and television shows to video games, reflecting its enduring popularity and appeal.
Overall, Parker is a strong and distinctive name with an English origin that has gained widespread use as both a surname and given name. Its meaning, derived from the Old English word for "park", adds to its appeal for parents looking for a name with a clear and meaningful origin.
The name Parker has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past century in the United States. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number of babies named Parker hovered around 10 to 20 per year. However, starting in the 1970s, there was a notable rise in the number of babies named Parker, with 66 births recorded in 1977.
This trend continued into the 1980s and 1990s, with over 300 babies named Parker each year between 1984 and 2000. The peak popularity of the name Parker occurred in 2006, with a total of 4,076 babies being given this name.
However, since then, the popularity of the name Parker has slightly decreased but remains stable. In 2021, there were 3,851 babies named Parker, indicating that it is still a popular choice for parents in the United States today.
Overall, over the past 140 years, approximately 123,801 babies have been named Parker in the United States. This statistic demonstrates the enduring appeal of the name Parker among parents and highlights its rising popularity over time.