About NameAlmanac

Our Mission

NameAlmanac makes 145 years of baby name data accessible, explorable, and genuinely useful. We transform the Social Security Administration's raw birth record files into an interactive research tool that serves expecting parents choosing a name, genealogists tracing family history, data enthusiasts studying cultural trends, and journalists reporting on naming patterns.

Every chart, ranking, and statistic on this site is computed directly from official government records. We do not editorialize, speculate, or inject opinion into the data. What you see reflects what the SSA recorded.

We believe that name data tells a rich cultural story — reflecting immigration waves, pop culture moments, religious traditions, and generational identity. Our mission is to make that story accessible through clear visualizations and comprehensive search tools, so anyone can explore naming trends with the depth they deserve.

What We Cover

NameAlmanac tracks over 104,800 unique name spellings recorded across the United States from 1880 through 2024. Our tools include:

  • Name profiles with year-by-year birth counts, popularity rankings, peak years, and trend charts
  • Browse and search across the full SSA database by letter, gender, origin, and style
  • Annual rankings for every year from 1880 to 2024, showing the most popular names and how rankings shifted
  • Decade summaries capturing the defining name trends of each era
  • State-level data revealing how name preferences vary across the 50 states and territories
  • Trend analysis identifying names that are rising, falling, or making comebacks
  • Name comparisons for side-by-side popularity analysis

Our Data Source

All name data comes exclusively from the Social Security Administration's National Baby Names dataset. This is the definitive public record of given names in the United States, derived from Social Security card applications filed since 1880. For full details on how we process this data, see our Methodology & Data Sources page.

We use the SSA's national-level and state-level data files as our sole data source. We do not supplement with crowdsourced data, user submissions, or third-party estimates. Every number on NameAlmanac traces directly back to official SSA records.

Methodology and Our Approach

We hold ourselves to strict editorial standards that prioritize accuracy and transparency:

  • Government data only — We use the SSA's official dataset as our sole data source. We do not supplement with crowdsourced data, user submissions, or third-party estimates
  • No editorial bias — Rankings, charts, and statistics reflect the data as published by the SSA. We do not adjust, weight, or editorialize the numbers
  • Transparent methodology — Our methodology page explains exactly how we process, rank, and present the data, including known limitations
  • Source attribution — Every data point traces back to the SSA dataset. We cite the source and data vintage on relevant pages
  • Error corrections — If you identify an inaccuracy, contact us and we will investigate and correct it promptly

Our data pipeline is designed to preserve the integrity of the original SSA records at every stage. We download data files directly from ssa.gov and verify file integrity before processing. Our automated validation checks row counts, year ranges, and statistical consistency against known SSA totals. Where the SSA suppresses data (names with fewer than 5 occurrences), we show nothing rather than estimate or fill gaps. Each database build is versioned and traceable to the specific SSA release it was built from.

Data Freshness and Update Schedule

The SSA releases updated baby name data annually, typically in May of each year. Our current database includes data through 2024, which is the most recent release. We update NameAlmanac within weeks of each annual SSA data release to maintain data currency across all name profiles, rankings, and trend analyses.

State-level data follows the same release schedule as the national data. When new files are published on ssa.gov, we download, validate, and process them through our ETL pipeline. The data vintage is clearly indicated throughout the site so users always know which year's data they are viewing.

Editorial Independence

Content on NameAlmanac is compiled by our editorial team. Raw data from public registries and government publications is transformed into readable profiles by our continuous editorial pipeline, validated against the source before publication. The NameAlmanac editorial team, operating under Kiznis Studio, is responsible for editorial standards, methodology, and corrections.

We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from brands, agencies, or any covered entity. Our only revenue source is contextual display advertising served by Google AdSense — advertisers do not influence which entities we cover or how we present data, and they do not receive preferential placement.

Limitations and Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Important caveats about the SSA baby name data:

  • Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a year are excluded by the SSA for privacy — this means very rare names do not appear
  • The dataset only captures names from Social Security card applications — births before SSN registration became common (especially pre-1937) may be undercounted
  • Name spellings are recorded exactly as submitted — the same phonetic name may appear as multiple entries (e.g., "Catherine", "Katherine", "Kathryn")
  • The SSA does not provide data on middle names, name changes, or naming motivations
  • Historical data becomes less complete the further back you go, particularly before 1910

We take data accuracy seriously because people use this information for meaningful decisions. If something looks wrong, please let us know.

Who We Are

NameAlmanac is built and maintained by ", a data publishing studio that builds free, public-interest tools powered by official government datasets. Our portfolio includes portals covering schools, housing, demographics, and other public data domains — all built on the same principles of accuracy, transparency, and accessibility.

Contact

Have questions, feedback, or data correction requests? Reach us at hello@namealmanac.com or visit our contact page. We welcome suggestions for new features and reports of any data discrepancies.

About the NameAlmanac Editorial Team

NameAlmanac Editorial is the Kiznis Studio editorial team responsible for compiling 145 years of U.S. Social Security Administration baby-names data (1880–2024) into an interactive research portal. Every annual file, decade aggregate, state-level breakdown, and ranking method is independently verified against the SSA's published source files (national + state-year) before each release. The editorial team specializes in U.S. baby-naming demographics, decade-level cohort comparisons, fastest-rising / falling name detection, gender-balance analysis, and per-state geographic concentration patterns. Our methodology page documents every aggregation technique, rounding convention, and privacy threshold (SSA suppresses names with fewer than 5 occurrences). Editorial contact: hello@namealmanac.com.

Published by Kiznis Studio. The editorial team reviews every dataset and data-framing choice before publication and applies consistent editorial standards across the site.