Archer is an English occupational surname and means "bowman", from the Old French archier and the Latin arcus, bow. As a first name it joins the rugged trade and surname names such as Hunter, Sawyer and Mason that American parents favor. Archer ranked number 3000 in 2000, entered the top 1000 in 2009 and climbed to number 98 in 2025, its first appearance in the top 100.