Data and methods

All figures on the US pages come from the baby names files of the U.S. Social Security Administration, built from applications for Social Security cards. They cover births in the United States from 1880 to 2025.

What is counted

For privacy reasons, the Social Security Administration does not publish a name given fewer than 5 times in a year for one sex: these births are missing here, so totals are slightly lower than reality.

Social Security cards were first issued in 1936: people born earlier appear only if they applied later in life, so early years are less complete. The shape of the curves remains meaningful, but early counts should be read with caution.

Form placeholders that are not names, such as “Unknown”, “Baby” or “Infant”, are left out.

Shares and ranks

“1 baby in N” compares a name with all births in the records that year, girls and boys together. Ranks are computed separately for girls and boys; tied names share the same rank.

Profiles

• Comeback: a real past, a low point at least three times lower, then a rise of at least three times that low point, still visible today.
• Rising: 25% more births over five years than over the ten previous years, at least half of the peak level.
• Classic: at least 60 years with births, less than 45% of births in its best 15 years.
• Short-lived: a clear peak, and a current level below half of that peak.

Unisex names

A name is shown as unisex when the less frequent sex accounts for at least 5% of its births since 1880.

What is not available

There is no public file of deaths by first name in the United States, so these pages do not estimate how many people with a name are alive today.