Total births
9,694
Boys' name · since 1880
Abe
Abe has 9,694 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1917 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2418
- among boys today
- 9,694
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
9,694 babies have been named Abe since 1880, making it today's #2418 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Abe recorded 9,694 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #2418 nationally today, ahead of 83% of boys, peaking in the 1910s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2418 among boys today
- 9,694 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 83% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Abe is currently the #2418 boys' name in America, more common than 83% of boys - 9,694 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #2418
- among boys today
- 9,694
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
Abe vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2418
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 83% of names given to boys today.
1910s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Abe was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
280 babies were named Abe in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Abe compares
9,694 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Abe's all-time total is 26x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Abe | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,694 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 280 | 23 | 22,252 |
Abe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Abe's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 33% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 67%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1992, with only 17 births recorded -- set against the 1917 peak of 280, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Abe at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1917
Current rank
#2,418
Active since
1880
Abe popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 280
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Abe by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Abe's strongest decade.
2,099 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Abe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 443
1880s
443 births
- 1890s 504
1890s
504 births
- 1900s 572
1900s
572 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,099 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,502 births
- 1930s 694
1930s
694 births
- 1940s 576
1940s
576 births
- 1950s 561
1950s
561 births
- 1960s 423
1960s
423 births
- 1970s 352
1970s
352 births
- 1980s 274
1980s
274 births
- 1990s 229
1990s
229 births
- 2000s 454
2000s
454 births
- 2010s 655
2010s
655 births
- 2020s 356
2020s
356 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 2,099 births (22% of all-time use).
How Abe compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Abe's total volume
Abe vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Abe by state
Where Abe concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,801 | 18.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 270 | 2.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 268 | 2.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 258 | 2.7% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 247 | 2.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 221 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 185 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 182 | 1.9% |
New York share of Abe's total US births 18.6%
Even split
1,801 of 9,694 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Abe appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Abe? ▼
9,694 babies have been named Abe since 1880. It currently ranks #2418 among boys. The peak year was 1917 with 280 births.
When was Abe most popular? ▼
Abe was most popular in the 1910s decade with 2,099 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Abe most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Abe are New York (1,801 births), Texas (270 births), Pennsylvania (268 births).
How long has the name Abe been used? ▼
Records for Abe go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Abe? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Abel, Abelardo, Abelino, Abenezer, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Abe's data
- Abe's decade-level peak was the 1910s (2,099 total births); usage has since declined to 356 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Abes (1,801 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Abe
Nearby Names Like Abe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Abe
Abel Boy
#220 66,037 births
Abelardo Boy
#2965 4,816 births
Abelino Boy
873 births
Abenezer Boy
#11654 244 births
Abed Boy
#9237 219 births
Compare Abe side by side: Abe vs Abel Abe vs Abelardo Abe vs Abelino
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Abe
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Abe: #2418 Boys' Name - 9,694 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/abe. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Abe draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.