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.
- #4,788 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,060 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,115
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
1,115 babies have been named Able since 1912, making it today's #5060 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Able recorded 1,115 times among boys since 1912, holding rank #5060 nationally today, ahead of 64% 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.
- #4,788 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,060 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,115 born since 1912
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Able ranks #4,788 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,060 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,115 born since 1912, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4,788 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,060 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,115
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
Able's 1,115 recorded births place it above 89.46% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Able compares
1,115 Top 30% higher than 70% of 13,930 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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,115 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 45 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (346 births, 31% of the file).
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 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% |
62 of 1,115 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Able? ▼
Where does Able sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Able most popular? ▼
Where is Able most popular? ▼
How long has the name Able been used? ▼
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
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
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Able: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2014)
Similar record span (~113 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.