Avner

Meaning & origin●(measured from records)

Attested across 20 languages in the etymology graph.

Other names spelled this way◐(inferred from the name graph)

Avner is also recorded as 4 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Hebrew given name6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Israel, United States, Morocco, Qatar

  Also written אבנר, Abner, Ebner, Ábner, Avnér

• French given name5 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, Israel, United States, Congo - Kinshasa

  Also written Avnér, Àvnér, Ávñêr

• Russian given name6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Russia, Israel, United States, Ukraine

  Languages: Russian, Ukrainian

  Also written Авнер, Эвнер

• Bulgarian given name6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Israel, United States

  Languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian

  Also written Авнер

45 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●(measured from records)

Avner is also recorded in 3 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, from Old French avenier/avener ‘oat-merchant’; first attested Roger, Alexander le Avener 1230 P (Hampshire)

  as a name·A Dictionary of English Surnames

• In German, männl. Vom., neuhebräische Form von

  as a name·DUDEN Lexikon der Vornamen

• Jewish: modern Hebrew form of ABNER .

  as a word

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Notable people with this name●(measured from records)

• Avner W. Lessb. 1916DEIsraeli police officer (1916-1987)
• Avner Shakib. 1926ILIsraeli politician
• Avner Hizkiyahub. 1926ILIsraeli actor and singer (1926–1994)
• Avner Shalevb. 1939ILIsraeli general
• Avner Cohenb. 1951USIsraeli-American academic
• Avner Greifb. 1955USAmerican economist
• Avner Yasharb. 1956ILIsraeli architect
• Avner Ben-Galb. 1966ILIsraeli artist (1966–2024)
• Avner Netanyahub. 1994ILson of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
• Avner Offerb. 2000GBBritish historian

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

How to address them○(machine-generated)

Evidence●(measured from records)

Register rows as of the 2026-10-09 data build.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the name Avner come from?

Roger, Alexander le Avener 1230 P (Ha), 1231 Pat (Lo). OFr avenier, avener ‘oatmerchant’. Used also of the chief officer of the stable who had charge of the provender for the horses (1282 NED). Recorded by A Dictionary of English Surnames.

What are other forms of the name Avner?

In the etymology graph, Abner is a form of the same name in other languages.

How do you pronounce Avner?

A machine transcription gives /ˈævnɝ/ (IPA) for Hebrew.

Is Avner a male or female name?

Avner is a male name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

What does the name Avner mean?

Recorded meaning: Roger, Alexander le Avener 1230 P (Ha), 1231 Pat (Lo).

In which country does Avner have the most bearers?

In the United States, the national register counted about 562 people named Avner, more than in any other country we hold, where it is most often spelled avner.

Where is Avner most common?

Avner is densest in the United States, where the national register counts about 1 in 592 thousand people carrying it.

How common is the name Avner?

In the United States, the national register counted 562 people named Avner in 2020, about 1 in 592 thousand residents.