The baby name Parker has become a rising surname favorite in recent years, for our sons and daughters alike.
Thanks to Michelle for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME PARKER MEAN?
The baby name Parker started out as an occupational surname for a park-keeper. The English surname would’ve been given to a park ranger of sorts, often someone who managed the lands of an estate in medieval England.
There’s a second possible origin for Parker: the given name Peter.
Just like nickname Larkin evolved from Lawrence and Jankin from John, Parkin became a pet form of Peter.
It’s a little convoluted in 21st century English, but the path was something like this: shorten Peter to Per. Add the diminutive ending -kin. Perkin’s ER sound often became an AR, shifting the pronunciation slightly. And then Parkin evolved to Parker.
PETER PARKER
Peter and Parker are linked in another way: enduring superhero Peter Parker, the alter-ego of Spider-Man.
Chances are you know the story.
Peter Parker is a super-smart teenager, growing up in New York City, raised by his Aunt May. A chance encounter with a radioactive spider gives him superpowers. Parker uses his know-how to create tools that enhance his new powers, and before you know it, he’s crawling on walls and slinging webs to patrol the neighborhood.
In recent decades, actors Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have all played Peter Parker in successful movies. Holland’s version joined the MCU as one of the Avengers.
We tend to think of Spider-Man as a teeanger, though his comic book story involves Parker’s transition from high school to adulthood.
Also noteworthy: other characters have donned the spider suit, including Miles Morales.
PARKER ON THE SMALL SCREEN
Some family traditions have always encouraged the use of surnames as first names. But the baby name Parker’s big boost is tied to television.
In 1978, Parker returned to the US Top 1000 and started a steady ascent.
One likely reason? In 1977, actor Parker Stevenson – born Richard Stevenson Parker, Jr. – became a co-star of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries series. It only lasted three seasons, but the show was a hit, and rised Parker’s profile – the actor, as well as the name.
A second boost came in 1990, thanks to Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. A sitcom about high school life, main character Parker was modeled on movie character Ferris Bueller. By the time the series ended in 1993, the baby name Parker had reached the US Top 250 for boys.
The small screen has continued to boost Parker. American actor Parker Young has appeared in series like Suburgatory. Reality series Gold Rush has profiled real-life Alaska prospector Parker Schnabel since 2010.
There’s also career criminal Parker, created by author Donald E. Westlake. The character featured in over two dozen novels. Several have been adapted as movies, beginning in 1966. More recently, Jason Statham starred in a 2013 film titled Parker. Mark Wahlberg is set to reprise the role in an upcoming film.
PARKER POSEY
The baby name Parker has trended for girls, too.
The origins of the name Parker for our daughters also owe much to pop culture.
American actress Parker Posey rose to fame starring in independent films like Party Girl and House of Yes during the 1990s. Her recent star turn on White Lotus raised her profile to new heights.
Yes, it’s her birth name. Posey was named after supermodel Suzy Parker.
By the late 1990s, she appeared in mainstream hits like You’ve Got Mail. That’s almost certainly why the baby name Parker debuted in the US Top 1000 for girls in 1999.
More fictional female Parkers followed, including:
- In an ABC Family movie, Revenge of the Bridesmaids starring Raven-Symoné including a fellow bridesmaid named Parker.
- TNT’s Leverage, recently rebooted as Leverage: Redemption on Amazon Prime, included Beth Riesgraf as talented cat-burglar Parker.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME PARKER?
There’s no surprise that the baby name Parker has trended.
Besides all the pop culture fanfare, parents across English-speaking countries have fallen hard for surnames ending with R as first names.
In terms of popularity, as of 2024:
- The baby name Parker has ranked in the boys’ Top 100 since 2009. It peaked at #72 in 2015, and stands at #97 as of 2024.
- For girls, Parker ranks #104 as of 2024, an all-time high.
It’s similarly popular for boys in Canada and England, though the growing preference for Parker as a girls name is mostly a US phenomenon.
While fiction might still drive some baby name inspiration, Parker has plenty of momentum based on sound and style alone.
POLISHED, OUTDOORSY PARKER
If you’re looking for something that feels polished, but also outdoorsy, Parker might be the perfect name. Like Wilder or River, it splits the difference between the two images.
Thanks to a long history of use for boys and girls alike, Parker qualifies as a true gender-neutral name, which can be a plus.
If you’re looking for a current, on-trend name for a child that still feels a little bit traditional, the baby name Parker might be exactly what you’re after.
What do you think of the baby name Parker?
First published on August 7, 2010, this post was revised on July 31, 2025.
I used to love parker lewis can’t lose but yet prefer it on girls. What would he/she Vd called for short ?
I just can’t picture Parker on a girl, sounds really masculine to me.
I’m not a huge fan of Parker (boy or girl), I do like some -er enders though (obviously!), some surnames are nice enough, and while I’m generally not too excited about unisex names, there are some that I do like… and they are, admittedly, usually surnames.
I’m in agreement with Holey that surnames seem like they belong to both genders equally and it’s pretty hard for me to come down to solidly on the “no to -son and Mac- names for girls” side of things these days, since I know a whole lotta girls with names that fall into one of those two categories.
Would I use Parker? No. Would I use a surname on a girl? Sure, I’d consider it, even if it was “unisex/male sounding.” I like Harper for a girl… Linden on a girl… and if you go to the Elliot BNOTD post here on Appellation Mountain, I’m pretty sure I said I kinda like Elliot on a girl… I don’t like Madison or Addison or MacKenzie, but you know, I’d be lying if I said I *always* felt that way. Way back when, I really liked Madison and Addison… before every 3rd girl was called that… so it wasn’t the surnamey-ness, it wasn’t the unisex side of things, it wasn’t the -son ender, it was just plain ol’ fatigue that made me start to dislike those names.
Yes, it’s mostly overuse that has caused me to dislike a lot of the names, too. Then there’s a few (Parker, Harper. Carson,Logan, Cooper, Wyatt, etc.) that have crossed into first name status enough that I like them all right. But, personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable using a really unusual surname, either, unless I had a family connection. For instance, on Nameberry, there have been a few threads of people who are asking opinions of the name Collins for a girl, after the character in ‘The Blind Side.’ I think that name is TOO unusual to use without a family link.
Yep, I’m one of those who strongly feel that male names shouldn’t be used on girls. All I can picture when I hear Parker is a little boy.
I wouldn’t really call this a boy’s name. Surname names – except the ones ending in -son or beginning with mac – should be fair game for both genders. I might also make an exception for surname names that have long been exclusively used by boys (i.e. Elliott).
I love Parker Posey’s name, just flows so well together. I’ve never met a female Parker, but can see the appeal. Just love when you mention Larkin (my son’s name)!
Oh, and I always explain that Jack is a nickname for John in a similar way as my Larkin is a nickname for Laurence (his given name).
“During medieval times, the name John was altered slightly in the Germanic tongues to Jankin or Jackin. Out of that, we get the nickname Jack”
Interesting stuff!
My much younger teenage brother is a Parker. My daughter has a 3 yr old girlfriend named Parker. It seems to work equally well for both genders. In fact, it’s really one of the few surnames that doesn’t seem to definitively tilt one way or the other for me.