Homer as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Homer

What is the meaning of the name Homer ?

The baby name Homer is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈhoʊmər/ (HOH-mer).

Homer is Greek in Origin.

Homer is the Anglicized form of Greek Homeros (Ὅμηρος), via Latin Homerus. Its exact sense is debated: many derive it from Greek homēros “hostage” or “pledge,” while others propose “companion” or “assembler (of songs),” so the meaning is best regarded as uncertain. International variants include Homère (French), Omero (Italian), Homero (Spanish/Portuguese), and Ómiros (Modern Greek); the older scholarly form Homerus also appears.

Usage stems from the legendary 8th‑century BCE poet credited with the Iliad and Odyssey, whose name became a byword for epic verse. Humanist admiration revived Homer as a given name in early modern Europe, and it found particular favor in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries before fading in mid‑century. Contemporary recognition is shaped by figures such as civil rights plaintiff Homer Plessy and engineer‑author Homer Hickam, as well as the pop‑cultural shadow of Homer Simpson.