Pepper
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Pepper
With its bubbly sounds and stylish feel, Pepper joins a small but distinctive group of names inspired by the spice rack: Saffron, Juniper, Cassia, Sage, Ginger, and Rosemary. Enough like Pippa, Piper and Penelope that it feels usable, Pepper has appeared every year in the US stats since the 60s.
Pepper for girls#1907 US
As a word, pepper can refer to the seasoning made from the dried seeds of a black pepper plant or to the many varieties of the vegetable-that-is-technically-a-fruit. Though unrelated, they bear the same name, deriving from the Indian name for the black peppercorn plant piper nigrum. When peppers (of the fruity kind) were first brought into Europe by Christopher Columbus, they were grouped together under the term 'pepper' because that's what all spices with a hot and strong taste were called.
Pepper Potts is a character from the Marvel Universe, while Pepper Ann Pearson is the title character of a 90s Disney series. Also used in novel Good Omens, in the title of The Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and for the soda drink, Dr. Pepper, Pepper has only ever featured once in the US Top 1000.
Possibly inspired by the 1975 film The Great Waldo Pepper, more than 130 girls were given the name that same year — five times as many as the year before. It's popularity was short lived however, and it wasn't until the 2008 release of the first Iron Man movie that the name began to gain traction. Given to 128 girls in a recent year, it is familiar while not overly popular.
There is a chance that Pepper may rise up the charts, thanks to Juniper's popularity, though some parents may be held back by the sound alike name of Peppa Pig. If you do enjoy the name but are put off by the cartoon character, you could consider Pepper as a nickname for Penelope, Persephone, or Phillipa. Parents are beginning to scan the whole spice shelf for inspiration, picking up on Saffron, Sage, and Cinnamon -- and opening up a chance for this spiciest possibility of all; used for peppy TV characters.
Pepper for boys
More popularly used for girls, this peppy word name has been worn by football player Pepper Johnson (born Thomas and given the childhood nickname for sprinkling pepper on his cereal) and appears in the musical Mamma Mia!. Yet to make waves for boys, it was given to five boys in a recent year.
Associated with the drink, Dr Pepper and occasionally Peppa Pig, it's also related to the vegetable (or fruit) and spice, giving it a wordy, nature-y vibe too. There's also the musical link to The Beatle's album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club might appeal to some. Pepper might be a fun nickname for Joseph, Philip, Peter, Peregrine, or Percival.
Pronounced PEP-er.
As of October 2026, Pepper ranked #1907 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #956 in 1975, Nameberry popularity #852.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,418 | 161 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #1,503 | 152 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #1,621 | 136 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #1,741 | 122 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #1,630 | 131 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #1,503 | 145 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #1,588 | 132 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #1,401 | 156 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,437 | 156 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #1,630 | 128 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #1,627 | 127 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,907 | 102 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Pepper for girls
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Pepper.
Similar girl names
Similar boy names
Pepper on lists
Famous Peppers
- PepperGirl
ring name of Cynthia Peretti, American pro wrestler
- Pepper Hall (b. 2012)Girl
daughter of actress Moon Bloodgood and director Grady Hall
- Dottie PepperGirl
American golfer
- Lavone A. "Pepper" Paire DavisGirl
American baseball player
- Wendy Pepper (Anne Eustis Pepper Stewart)Girl
American fashion designer
- Pepper BinkleyGirl
American actress
- Pepper SchwartzGirl
American sociologist and sexologist
- Pepper MaShayGirl
stage name of American singer Jean McClain
- Pepper WintersGirl
award,winning novelist
- Pepper Somerset (Traci Danielle)Girl
female vocalist in the American Industrial band My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
- Pepper JosephGirl
daughter of JOCObrand owner Zack Joseph, niece of singer Tyler Joseph of twenty one pilots
- Thomas "Pepper" JohnsonBoy
American NFL football player
- Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams IIIBoy
American jazz saxophonist
- Pepper J. KeenanBoy
American guitarist and singer of bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down
- Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" MartinBoy
American baseball player
- Franklin Cullen "Pepper" RodgersBoy
American football coach
Pepper in pop culture
- Dr. PepperBoth
brand of soda
- Pepper AndersonGirl
main character on TV's "Police Woman"
- Virginia "Pepper" PottsGirl
character in Marvel comics and films
- Pepper Ann PearsonGirl
main character on animated TV series "Pepper Ann"
- Heidi "Pepper" SteigerGirl
from Australian TV soap "Neighbours"
- Pepper FribergGirl
archangel in the Hush Hush series
- Pepper BrooksGirl
minor character in the movie "Dodgeball"
- Peppa PigGirl
British animated TV series and its main character
- PepperGirl
orphan girl in the musical "Annie"
- PepperGirl
puppy in the "101 Dalmatians" films
- PepperGirl
lovely and sweet character from "American Horror Story: Asylum" and "American Horror Story: Freakshow"
- Pepper ClarkGirl
character in animated TV series "Littlest Pet Shop"
- Pepper SmallGirl
character in 2011 film "Inside Out"
- "Pepper DennisGirl
" TV show and its main character
- PepperGirl
main character in webcomic "Pepper&Carrot"
- Mrs. PepperGirl
pepper character from "Blue's Clues"
- PepperGirl
character in "Inanimate Insanity"
- PepperGirl
Character from the webcomic "Sparklecare Hospital"
- Pepper SaltzmanBoy
recurring character on TV's "Modern Family"
- PepperBoy
character in musical "Mamma Mia!"
- Pepper RoniBoy
main character in the Lego Island series
- Chris PepperBoy
character in 1969 film "One More Time"
- Reggie PepperBoy
character in stories by P. G. Wodehouse
- Sgt. Floyd PepperBoy
a character in The Muppet Show
- J.W. PepperBoy
character in two James Bond films
- "The Great Waldo PepperBoy
" film and its main character
- Five Little PeppersBoy
a family with five children in a children's literature series
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandBoy
Beatles album