The baby name Bond is a little bit leading man, a little bit affectionate.
Thanks to Cory for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME BOND MEAN?
Back in the day, Bond referred to a bondman – a peasant farmer. In Old English, it might’ve been bonda or bunda. It meant that the farmer had an obligation to a feudal lord.
The nature of that tie varied from place to place and time to time, but in terms of status, it was probably above a serf, but below someone who owned his land independently.
That’s how we get occupation surnames like Bonde, Bonda, and Bond.
Other European surnames were sometimes shortened to Bond or re-spelled in American English.
But given just how many farmers there were in the Middle Ages? Most of the time, this is probably a surname of English origin for someone whose ancestors worked the land.
THE TIES THAT BOND
There’s another origin for the word bond. After all, we talk about bonds in chemistry. We glue things together to form a bond. And people can bond, of course.
The word refers to anything that binds, and the word shares roots with bind, bound, and band.
During the Middle Ages, a bond also came to mean an agreement. By the 16th century, a bond could be a debt of sorts. And that brings us right up to the 20th century, when a bail bondsman puts up the money a defendant needs to be released pending trial.
So while bond’s meaning has shifted a bit, it’s all about connection.
That lends this name a little bit of an affectionate vibe.
Except that the best known Bond has a very different style.
JAMES BOND
As of 2021, there have been more than two dozen James Bond movies, not counting spin-offs, rip-offs, and vaguely related characters. That makes it one of the most successful media franchises of all time.
We first met the dashing superspy in a 1953 novel by British writer Ian Fleming. The author worked in wartime intelligence himself and drew from his personal knowledge of such efforts. His twelve novels and two short story collections have provided ample inspiration for the films, but they’ve also gone beyond the original material, especially as the world has changed.
Six actors have portrayed Bond in the official movie adaptations, and the search is underway for a seventh. The character famously introduces himself as “Bond. James Bond.”
It’s about as iconic a name as pop culture has created.
Plenty of notable people answer to the surname Bond. Real people, of course. In fact, the Bond Baronetcy was a minor noble title in the Irish House of Commons, and one of those early, way before Ian Fleming aristocrats was called James Bond.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME BOND?
Any accessible surname might become a given name.
As a boy’s name, Bond debuted in the US data in 1917, with five births.
The first name Bond remained quite rare, never ranking in the US Top 1000.
As of 2024, just 10 boys received the name.
In 2025, influencer and entrepreneur Lauryn Bosstick welcomed her third child with husband Michael. His name? Bond, a brother for Zaza and Townes.
After many years on the fringes of the popularity data, that might be enough of a nudge for the baby name Bond to trend.
BOLD BOY NAME ON THE RISE
The potential rise of Bond wouldn’t just be about a high-profile birth announcement.
We love popular names starting with Bo, from spiritual Bodhi to surname Boden. Surname/word name Boone might be the most similar to Bond.
Bond’s meaning could appeal. And baby boy names with strong, bright sounds like Jude and Reid have been Top 200 favorites. Bond might be the perfect substitute for parents eager to find something with a similar sound, but far less common.
What do you think of the baby name Bond?
