Baby Name Popularity Calculator

In the US, the Social Security Administration (SSA) ranks baby names based on the number of babies given each name in a calendar year. The #1 ranked name is the name given to the most babies that year. Rankings are published annually, usually in May, for the previous year's births.

Not at all. Popular names are popular for good reasons: they are easy to spell, pronounce, and are well-liked. Even the #1 name is only given to about 1% of babies, much less common than decades ago when top names reached 3-5%. Your child's unique personality matters far more than name popularity.

Baby names have become much more diverse. In 1950, the top 10 names accounted for 30% of all babies. Today, the top 10 account for only about 7%. Parents are choosing from a wider variety of names, so even 'popular' names are less common than they used to be.