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 between roughly 1,400 - 1,500 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]