Total births
5,223
Unisex name · since 1895
Afton
5,223 babies named Afton in U.S. Social Security records since 1895, with the highest year being 1983. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3646
- among girls today
- 5,223
- born since 1895
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
5,223 babies have been named Afton since 1895, making it today's #3646 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Afton recorded 5,223 times among girls since 1895, holding rank #3646 nationally today, ahead of 79% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #3646 among girls today
- 5,223 born since 1895
- 1980s peak decade
- 79% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Afton is currently the #3646 unisex name in America, more common than 79% of girls - 5,223 born since 1895, peaking in the 1980s.
- #3646
- among girls today
- 5,223
- born since 1895
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Afton vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3646
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 79% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Afton was born in this single decade.
1983
Single peak year
186 babies were named Afton in 1983 - its busiest year on record.
How Afton compares
5,223 Top 13% higher than 87% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Afton's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Afton | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,223 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 186 | 48 | 19,840 |
Afton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Afton's SSA record in two at 1964 and the more recent half accounts for 74% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 26%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1898, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1983 peak of 186, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Afton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1983
Current rank
#3,646
Active since
1895
Afton popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (1983)
- 186
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Afton popularity over time - boys
854 total births recorded since 1910 (Afton as boys' name)
Afton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Afton's strongest decade.
1,206 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Afton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 18
1890s
18 births
- 1900s 91
1900s
91 births
- 1910s 461
1910s
461 births
- 1920s 475
1920s
475 births
- 1930s 213
1930s
213 births
- 1940s 95
1940s
95 births
- 1950s 20
1950s
20 births
- 1960s 29
1960s
29 births
- 1970s 57
1970s
57 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,206 births
- 1990s
1990s
580 births
- 2000s
2000s
719 births
- 2010s
2010s
921 births
- 2020s 338
2020s
338 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,206 births (23% of all-time use).
How Afton compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Afton's total volume
Afton vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Afton by state
Where Afton concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Utah | | 1,210 | 23.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 237 | 4.5% |
| #3 | Idaho | | 230 | 4.4% |
| #4 | California | | 165 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Virginia | | 165 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 153 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 43 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 32 | 0.6% |
Utah share of Afton's total US births 23.2%
Even split
1,210 of 5,223 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Afton appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Afton? ▼
Since 1895, Social Security records show 5,223 babies named Afton. Today it holds rank #3646 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1983, with 186 births.
When was Afton most popular? ▼
Afton was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,206 total births. The single peak year was 1983.
Where is Afton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Afton are Utah (1,210 births), Texas (237 births), Idaho (230 births).
Is Afton a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Afton is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 5,223 births, and as a boy's name it has 854 births.
How long has the name Afton been used? ▼
Afton has been recorded in Social Security data since 1895, spanning 131 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Afton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Aftyn, Aftan, Aften, Aftin. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Afton's data
- Afton's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,206 total births); usage has since declined to 338 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Utah records the most Aftons (1,210 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Utah 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 Afton
Nearby Names Like Afton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Afton
Compare Afton side by side: Afton vs Aftyn Afton vs Aftan Afton vs Aften
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Afton
Seraphine #3645
751 births · Peak 2025
Brady #3647
2,138 births · Peak 2021
Imelda #3644
7,476 births · Peak 1978
Amna #3648
1,711 births · Peak 2015
Bethel #3643
5,221 births · Peak 1922
Elayne #3649
4,114 births · Peak 1946
Justina #3642
12,240 births · Peak 1990
Adalaide #3650
447 births · Peak 2024
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, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Afton: #3646 Unisex Name - 5,223 Births, Peak 1983." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/afton. 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 Afton 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.