Total births
374,690
Girls' name · since 1880
Amber
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 374,690 babies named Amber, peaking in 1986. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #541
- among girls today
- 374,690
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Amber is the #541 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 374,690 recorded since 1880.
Amber has 374,690 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #541 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of girls, busiest in the 1980s -- 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.
- #541 among girls today
- 374,690 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Amber is currently the #541 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 374,690 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #541
- among girls today
- 374,690
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Amber vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#541
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Amber was born in this single decade.
1986
Single peak year
16,954 babies were named Amber in 1986 - its busiest year on record.
How Amber compares
374,690 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Amber's all-time total is 981x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Amber | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 374,690 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 16,954 | 48 | 19,840 |
Amber's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Amber's SSA record in two at 1955 and the more recent half accounts for 99% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 1%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1986 peak of 16,954, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Amber at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1986
Current rank
#541
Active since
1880
Amber popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1986)
- 16,954
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Amber popularity over time - boys
978 total births recorded since 1961 (Amber as boys' name)
Amber by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Amber's strongest decade.
153,951 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Amber births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 46
1880s
46 births
- 1890s 131
1890s
131 births
- 1900s 170
1900s
170 births
- 1910s 327
1910s
327 births
- 1920s 304
1920s
304 births
- 1930s 192
1930s
192 births
- 1940s 537
1940s
537 births
- 1950s 1,255
1950s
1,255 births
- 1960s 5,467
1960s
5,467 births
- 1970s 47,063
1970s
47,063 births
- 1980s
1980s
153,951 births
- 1990s
1990s
115,605 births
- 2000s 36,217
2000s
36,217 births
- 2010s 10,023
2010s
10,023 births
- 2020s 3,402
2020s
3,402 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 153,951 births (41% of all-time use).
How Amber 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 Amber's total volume
Amber vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Amber by state
Where Amber concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 40,185 | 10.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 31,951 | 8.5% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 18,719 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 16,751 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 15,475 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 14,822 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 13,970 | 3.7% |
| #8 | New York | | 13,401 | 3.6% |
California share of Amber's total US births 10.7%
Even split
40,185 of 374,690 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Amber appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Amber? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 374,690 babies named Amber. Today it holds rank #541 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1986, with 16,954 births.
When was Amber most popular? ▼
Amber was most popular in the 1980s decade with 153,951 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
Where is Amber most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Amber are California (40,185 births), Texas (31,951 births), Ohio (18,719 births).
How long has the name Amber been used? ▼
Amber has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Amber? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Amberly, Ambar, Ambria, Amberlee, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Amber's data
- Amber's decade-level peak was the 1980s (153,951 total births); usage has since declined to 3,402 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Ambers (40,185 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 Amber
Nearby Names Like Amber
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Amber
Amberly Girl
#1750 6,724 births
Ambar Girl
#1670 3,026 births
Ambria Girl
#10505 2,106 births
Amberlee Girl
#5859 2,080 births
Ambrosia Girl
#11159 1,700 births
Compare Amber side by side: Amber vs Amberly Amber vs Ambar Amber vs Ambria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Amber
Louise #540
336,466 births · Peak 1921
Makayla #542
108,030 births · Peak 2008
Faye #539
72,142 births · Peak 1943
Zahra #543
9,395 births · Peak 2025
Jimena #538
17,034 births · Peak 2016
Margo #544
27,208 births · Peak 1954
Jordan #537
135,599 births · Peak 1997
Lylah #545
8,547 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. "Amber: #541 Girls' Name - 374,690 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/amber. 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 Amber 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.