Meaning and history
This name comes from the Greek Ὅμηρος (Homeros), derived from ὅμηρος (homeros) meaning “hostage” or “pledge.” Homer was the Greek epic poet traditionally credited with the Iliad, about the Trojan War, and the Odyssey, about Odysseus’s return home after the war. Although his historical existence and dates are disputed, most scholars place him in the 8th century BC. The name has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world, especially in the United States, since the 18th century, and it is also borne by the father character on the television series The Simpsons (1989–).
20062006: 22 births, rank #4,223
2007: 22 births, rank #4,375
2008: 27 births, rank #3,823
2009: 13 births, rank #6,436
2010: 25 births, rank #3,994
20112011: 21 births, rank #4,509
2012: 25 births, rank #4,003
2013: 20 births, rank #4,621
2014: 30 births, rank #3,532
2015: 30 births, rank #3,591
20162016: 24 births, rank #4,199
2017: 26 births, rank #3,993
2018: 32 births, rank #3,446
2019: 23 births, rank #4,337
2020: 30 births, rank #3,570
20212021: 32 births, rank #3,497
2022: 35 births, rank #3,344
2023: 39 births, rank #3,117
2024: 26 births, rank #4,072
20252025: 21 births, rank #4,707
Homer moved from #902 to #949 for boys between 1981 and 1983. Its highest annual birth count came in 1920, with 1,722 births.