
The short answer
Baylor is a unisex name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname Beiler, derived from Middle High German beile meaning ‘measuring stick’." It ranked #386 for boys and #694 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname Beiler, derived from Middle High German beile meaning ‘measuring stick’. The entry lists its usage as English (Modern).
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Baylor ranked #386 for boys and #694 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (boys) | 2025 | #386 | ssa-2025 |
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #694 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #386 (Social Security Administration)
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Baylor in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Baylor mean?
Baylor means "measuring stick", according to Behind the Name.
Is Baylor a popular name?
Baylor ranked #386 for boys and #694 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Baylor a boy's or a girl's name?
Baylor appears in both the boys' and girls' SSA lists for 2025, so it is used for both.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Baylor — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.