How to say it
ED · gar
ˈɛd.ɡər
Masculine
Edgar
Wealthy spear
What it means
From the Old English ead, 'wealth, fortune,' plus gar, 'spear.'
Edgar joins the Old English ead, 'wealth' or 'fortune,' to gar, 'spear,' so 'fortunate spear.' A 10th-century English king carried it, and Edgar Allan Poe gave it a dark literary glamour. It is also a steady favorite across Latin America. Ed and Eddie are the shorts. Said ED-gar.
How to spell Edgar
The standard spelling is Edgar. Common variants include Édgar, Edgardo, Eadgar, but Edgar is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #51 in 1881, currently #486 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed August 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Ed, Eddie.
- Pop culture
Writer Edgar Allan Poe.
Who's worn it
- Edgar Allan Poe American writer and poet, master of gothic and mystery fiction
- Edgar Degas French Impressionist painter
Spelling variants
- Édgar
- Edgardo
- Eadgar
Names with the same feeling
See Edgar from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Edgar mean?
- From the Old English ead, 'wealth, fortune,' plus gar, 'spear.'
- What does Edgar mean in English?
- In English, Edgar means "Wealthy spear." Edgar joins the Old English ead, 'wealth' or 'fortune,' to gar, 'spear,' so 'fortunate spear.' A 10th-century English king carried it, and Edgar Allan Poe gave it a dark literary glamour. It is also a steady favorite across Latin America. Ed and Eddie are the shorts. Said ED-gar.
- How do you pronounce Edgar?
- Edgar is pronounced ˈɛd.ɡər. Say it as ED-gar, with the stress on the "ed" syllable.
- How do you spell Edgar?
- The standard spelling is Edgar. Common spelling variants include Édgar, Edgardo, Eadgar.
- Is Edgar a boy or girl name?
- Edgar is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Edgar?
- Edgar ranked #486 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.