The Social Security Administration publishes data on how common each name is

The Social Security Administration (SSA) keeps records of every name given to babies at birth for whom a Social Security number was issued. Since 1997, they have released this data publicly, broken down by year, state, and gender. You can search their database to see how many people born in a given year received the same first name you did, or how your name's popularity has changed over decades.

This is not a tool for checking your own Social Security record or account. It is a historical reference that shows naming trends across the United States. The data comes from Social Security applications filed at birth and covers roughly 98 percent of babies born in the United States since 1880.

Key Takeaways

  • The SSA's baby names database is free and searchable on their website, showing how many children received each name in each year since 1880.
  • You can filter results by state and gender to see regional naming patterns or compare how your name ranked nationally versus in your home state.
  • The data reflects names as they appear on Social Security applications, so spelling variations are counted separately.
  • Name popularity shifts significantly over time — names that ranked in the top 10 decades ago may not appear in the top 100 today.

How to search the SSA baby names database

Go to ssa.gov/oact/babynames and enter a first name in the search box. The tool will show you a list of years and the number of babies given that name in each year. By default, it displays results for both boys and girls combined, but you can filter by gender using the dropdown menu.

The results appear as a table with columns for year, number of babies, and rank (where rank 1 means the most popular name that year). You can also download the full dataset as a text file if you want to analyze multiple names or years at once. The search is case-insensitive, so "Sarah," "sarah," and "SARAH" will all return the same results.

If you want to compare your name across states, use the "State" filter. This shows you how many babies in that state received the name in each year, which can reveal regional preferences. For example, a name might have been far more common in Texas than in Vermont during the same decade.

What the data actually shows and what it does not

The database shows the number of Social Security applications filed with each name, not the total number of living people with that name. A name that was popular in 1950 tells you how many babies were born that year, but not how many of those people are still alive today. People move, change names, and pass away, so the current population with any given name is different from what the historical data suggests.

The data also reflects names exactly as they appear on the Social Security application. "Jon" and "John" are counted as separate names, as are "Catherine," "Katherine," and "Kathryn." If you are looking for how common a name is in a particular spelling, you need to search that spelling specifically.

Names given to children born outside the United States and who later obtained a Social Security number are included only if they applied for one. Undocumented immigrants and people who never filed for a Social Security number do not appear in this database.

Understanding name rank and why it changes over time

The "rank" column tells you where a name stood in popularity that year. Rank 1 means it was the most common name given to babies of that gender in the United States that year. Rank 10 means it was the tenth most common. A name's rank can shift dramatically from year to year as naming trends change.

For example, "Michael" held the rank of 1 for many consecutive years but has dropped in recent decades as parents choose different names. Meanwhile, names like "Liam" and "Noah" have climbed from outside the top 100 to the top 5 in just the last 20 years. These shifts reflect broader cultural changes, immigration patterns, and generational preferences.

If you search a very uncommon name, you may see years where the count is fewer than five babies. The SSA withholds exact counts for names given to fewer than five children in a year to protect privacy, so those entries will show "less than 5" instead of a number.

Why this data exists and how it is used

The SSA publishes this data because it is a public record and because researchers, demographers, and genealogists use it to study naming patterns, immigration, and cultural trends. Historians use it to track how names associated with particular ethnic or religious groups became more or less common over time. Parents use it to research whether a name they are considering is currently popular or rare.

The data is also used by people researching family history. If you know an ancestor was born in a particular year and state, you can search their name to see how common it was, which can help narrow down records when multiple people share the same name.

Journalists and researchers sometimes use this data to write stories about naming trends — for instance, how the top baby names have become more diverse, or how celebrity culture influences what parents name their children.

Limitations and privacy considerations

The database does not tell you who specifically has a name, only how many people do. You cannot use it to find someone or verify that a particular person exists. It is a statistical tool, not a directory.

Because the SSA withholds counts for very rare names (fewer than five children), you cannot use this tool to determine whether a specific unusual name was given to anyone at all in a particular year. The privacy threshold means some data is simply not public.

The data is updated annually and released in May, so the most recent year available is always the previous calendar year. If you are searching for 2024 data, you will need to wait until May 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this to learn about someone with a specific name exists?

No. The database shows only how many babies received a name in a given year, not who they are or where they live. It is a statistical resource, not a people-finder tool. If you need to locate someone, you would need to use other resources like public records databases or hire a private investigator.

Why does my name show different popularity in my state than nationally?

Regional and cultural differences mean names are not distributed evenly across the country. A name common in one region may be rare in another. Immigration patterns, religious communities, and local naming traditions all affect which names are popular in which states during the same time period.

What if I was born outside the United States?

You appear in this database only if you obtained a Social Security number. If you were born abroad and later applied for a Social Security number, your name would be included from the year you applied, not from your birth year. The database reflects when the Social Security application was filed, not when you were born.

Can I download all the data at once instead of searching one name at a time?

Yes. The SSA provides downloadable files of the complete dataset organized by year and state on their baby names page. These files are in text format and can be opened in a spreadsheet or text editor if you want to analyze naming patterns across many names or years.

How far back does the data go?

The database includes data from 1880 onward, though data from the earliest years is less complete because Social Security was not established until 1935. Coverage becomes more comprehensive from 1937 forward, and nearly complete from the 1950s onward.