Total births
1,115
Boys' name · since 1912
Able
Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 1,115 babies named Able, peaking in 2014. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5263
- among boys today
- 1,115
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
1,115 babies have been named Able since 1912, making it today's #5263 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Able recorded 1,115 times among boys since 1912, holding rank #5263 nationally today, ahead of 63% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #5263 among boys today
- 1,115 born since 1912
- 2010s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Able is currently the #5263 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 1,115 born since 1912, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5263
- among boys today
- 1,115
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Able vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5263
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Able was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
45 babies were named Able in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Able compares
1,115 Top 29% higher than 71% 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
Able's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Able | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,115 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 45 | 23 | 22,252 |
Able's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Able's full recorded timeline at 1984, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1912, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2014 peak of 45 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Able at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2014
Current rank
#5,263
Active since
1912
Able popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 45
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Able by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Able's strongest decade.
346 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Able births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 30
1910s
30 births
- 1920s 37
1920s
37 births
- 1930s 19
1930s
19 births
- 1940s 20
1940s
20 births
- 1950s 49
1950s
49 births
- 1960s 42
1960s
42 births
- 1970s 73
1970s
73 births
- 1980s 95
1980s
95 births
- 1990s 99
1990s
99 births
- 2000s
2000s
160 births
- 2010s
2010s
346 births
- 2020s
2020s
145 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 346 births (31% of all-time use).
How Able 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 Able's total volume
Able vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Able by state
Where Able concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 62 | 5.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 45 | 4.0% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.4% |
California share of Able's total US births 5.6%
Even split
62 of 1,115 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Able? ▼
1,115 babies have been named Able since 1912. It currently ranks #5263 among boys. The peak year was 2014 with 45 births.
When was Able most popular? ▼
Able was most popular in the 2010s decade with 346 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Able most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Able are California (62 births), Texas (45 births), Pennsylvania (5 births).
How long has the name Able been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Able since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What to do with Able's data
- Able's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (346 total births) through the 2020s (145) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ables (62 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Able
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Able
Artemus #5262
676 births · Peak 1971
Cortland #5264
2,145 births · Peak 2011
Sebastiano #5261
1,005 births · Peak 2006
Jozef #5265
1,201 births · Peak 2005
Celso #5260
2,345 births · Peak 2006
Edvin #5266
1,065 births · Peak 2006
Raffaele #5259
1,079 births · Peak 1969
Lewin #5267
275 births · Peak 2023
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Able: #5263 Boys' Name - 1,115 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/able. 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 Able 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.