What does Fern mean?
Fern is an English nature name from the green woodland plant.
What does Aspen mean?
An English nature name from the trembling aspen tree.
Fern vs Aspen
Which is more popular?
Aspen is more popular than Fern today: about 1,179 US babies were given the name Aspen in 2025, compared with 186 named Fern.
| Fern | Aspen | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The fern plant | The aspen tree |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | FURN | AS-pen |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1973 |
| Peak year | 1918 (1,341) | 2022 (1,518) |
| In 2025 | 186 | 1,179 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Fern
Aspen
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Fern | Aspen |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 953 | 8,108 |
| 2010s | 717 | 8,393 |
| 2000s | 167 | 4,888 |
| 1990s | 97 | 2,735 |
| 1980s | 174 | 467 |
| 1970s | 299 | 135 |
| 1960s | 985 | 0 |
| 1950s | 2,213 | 0 |
| 1940s | 2,803 | 0 |
| 1930s | 4,570 | 0 |
| 1920s | 10,254 | 0 |
| 1910s | 9,250 | 0 |
| 1900s | 2,813 | 0 |
| 1890s | 1,937 | 0 |
| 1880s | 434 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Fern or Aspen more popular?
Aspen is more popular than Fern today: about 1,179 US babies were given the name Aspen in 2025, compared with 186 named Fern.
What is the difference between Fern and Aspen?
Fern means The fern plant (English origin), while Aspen means The aspen tree (English origin).
Which name is older, Fern or Aspen?
In US records, Fern first appears in 1880 and Aspen in 1973, so Fern has the longer recorded history.