Baby name meaning

Spike

Heavy spike or sharp-pointed ear of grain · English origin

Meaning & origin

Spike is a male name of English origin, meaning “Heavy spike or sharp-pointed ear of grain”.

How popular is Spike?

In England & Wales, Spike ranked #3201 among boys' names in 2024, with 7 babies given the name — down from #1319 in 2014. Its strongest year in the England & Wales series is 2003, when it reached #614.

In the United States, Spike was the #13,776 boys' name in the 2020 data, after peaking at #3,997 in 1960. It first charted in the US series in 1960.

The two territories disagree about Spike: #3,201 in England & Wales against #13,776 in the US — a markedly more British choice.

At #3201 (England & Wales) and #13,776 (US), Spike sits well outside the mainstream — a rare pick on both sides of the Atlantic.

Spike — popularity rank over timePopularity rank of the boys' name Spike over time, lower rank number = more popular. England and Wales annual rank 1996 to 2024. United States rank sampled one year per decade, 1960 to 2020.#1#10#100#1,000#10,000#100,0001960197019801990200020102024US 1960: #3,997US 2020: #13,776England & Wales 2024: #3,201United StatesEngland & Wales
Spike’s popularity rank over time — England & Wales annual rank (solid) and United States rank sampled once per decade (dashed), #1 at the top. Log scale: each gridline is 10× the rank above it.
Spike in England & Wales: rank and births in sampled years, plus its peak year. Source: ONS ‘Baby names in England and Wales’.
YearE&W rankBirths
1996#1,5738
2000#99216
2003#61437
2005#80330
2010#93931
2015#1,77414
2020#5,8093
2024#3,2017

Famous Spikes

More on Spike

Not for the faint-hearted: a sharp, spiky English original worn by comedians and film-makers alike. Meet Spike.

Swipe & match on Spike in Settle