Total births
271,796
Boys' name · since 1880
Allen
271,796 babies named Allen in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1951. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #572
- among boys today
- 271,796
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
271,796 babies have been named Allen since 1880, making it today's #572 boys' name.
Allen has 271,796 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #572 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #572 among boys today
- 271,796 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Allen is currently the #572 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 271,796 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #572
- among boys today
- 271,796
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Allen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#572
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Allen was born in this single decade.
1951
Single peak year
5,179 babies were named Allen in 1951 - its busiest year on record.
How Allen compares
271,796 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Allen's all-time total is 741x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Allen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 271,796 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,179 | 23 | 22,252 |
Allen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Allen splits its recorded history at 1953: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (172 births) -- compare that against the 1951 peak of 5,179 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Allen at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1951
Current rank
#572
Active since
1880
Allen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1951)
- 5,179
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Allen popularity over time - girls
1,866 total births recorded since 1896 (Allen as girls' name)
Allen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Allen's strongest decade.
47,322 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Allen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,998
1880s
1,998 births
- 1890s 2,002
1890s
2,002 births
- 1900s 2,558
1900s
2,558 births
- 1910s 11,493
1910s
11,493 births
- 1920s
1920s
20,092 births
- 1930s
1930s
24,356 births
- 1940s
1940s
39,049 births
- 1950s
1950s
47,322 births
- 1960s
1960s
37,694 births
- 1970s
1970s
21,667 births
- 1980s
1980s
21,904 births
- 1990s 16,951
1990s
16,951 births
- 2000s 12,581
2000s
12,581 births
- 2010s 8,821
2010s
8,821 births
- 2020s 3,308
2020s
3,308 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 47,322 births (17% of all-time use).
How Allen 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 Allen's total volume
Allen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Allen by state
Where Allen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 20,329 | 7.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 17,703 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 15,324 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 14,583 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 12,898 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 12,229 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 11,073 | 4.1% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 8,852 | 3.3% |
California share of Allen's total US births 7.5%
Even split
20,329 of 271,796 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Allen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Allen? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 271,796 babies named Allen. Today it holds rank #572 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1951, with 5,179 births.
When was Allen most popular? ▼
Allen was most popular in the 1950s decade with 47,322 total births. The single peak year was 1951.
Where is Allen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Allen are California (20,329 births), New York (17,703 births), Texas (15,324 births).
How long has the name Allen been used? ▼
Allen has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Allen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Allan, Allison, Allyn, Allie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Allen's data
- Allen's decade-level peak was the 1950s (47,322 total births); usage has since declined to 3,308 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Allens (20,329 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 Allen
Nearby Names Like Allen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Allen
Allan Boy
#858 96,458 births
Allison Boy
#8996 3,825 births
Allyn Boy
#9033 3,223 births
Allie Boy
3,121 births
Allister Boy
#2605 1,250 births
Compare Allen side by side: Allen vs Allan Allen vs Allison Allen vs Allyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Allen
Soren #571
10,946 births · Peak 2025
Louie #573
30,992 births · Peak 2024
Ford #570
11,009 births · Peak 2021
Zaiden #574
11,550 births · Peak 2013
Cassius #569
9,736 births · Peak 2021
Ronald #575
1,082,247 births · Peak 1947
Zachariah #568
31,238 births · Peak 1992
Alden #576
18,221 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, 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. "Allen: #572 Boys' Name - 271,796 Births, Peak 1951." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/allen. 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 Allen 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.