Total births
1,855
Boys' name · since 1913
Ames
1,855 babies named Ames in U.S. Social Security records since 1913, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2015
- among boys today
- 1,855
- born since 1913
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
1,855 babies have been named Ames since 1913, making it today's #2015 boys' name.
Ames has 1,855 recorded births among boys since 1913, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2015 as of the latest data, more common than 86% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #2015 among boys today
- 1,855 born since 1913
- 2010s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ames is currently the #2015 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 1,855 born since 1913, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2015
- among boys today
- 1,855
- born since 1913
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Ames vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2015
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Ames was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
93 babies were named Ames in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Ames compares
1,855 Top 22% higher than 78% 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
Ames's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ames | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,855 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 93 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ames's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ames splits its recorded history at 1965: 78% of all births land in the more recent half, 22% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1914 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2023 peak of 93 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ames at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2023
Current rank
#2,015
Active since
1913
Ames popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 93
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Ames popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 2016 (Ames as girls' name)
Ames by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Ames's strongest decade.
526 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Ames births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 54
1910s
54 births
- 1920s 72
1920s
72 births
- 1930s 80
1930s
80 births
- 1940s 62
1940s
62 births
- 1950s 102
1950s
102 births
- 1960s 98
1960s
98 births
- 1970s 110
1970s
110 births
- 1980s 173
1980s
173 births
- 1990s 11
1990s
11 births
- 2000s 54
2000s
54 births
- 2010s
2010s
526 births
- 2020s
2020s
513 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 526 births (28% of all-time use).
How Ames 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 Ames's total volume
Ames vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ames by state
Where Ames concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 87 | 4.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 60 | 3.2% |
| #3 | Minnesota | | 38 | 2.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 15 | 0.8% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 15 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Colorado | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Utah | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 10 | 0.5% |
California share of Ames's total US births 4.7%
Even split
87 of 1,855 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Ames appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ames? ▼
Since 1913, Social Security records show 1,855 babies named Ames. Today it holds rank #2015 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2023, with 93 births.
When was Ames most popular? ▼
Ames was most popular in the 2010s decade with 526 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Ames most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ames are California (87 births), Texas (60 births), Minnesota (38 births).
How long has the name Ames been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ames since 1913 -- 113 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ames? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ameer, Americo, Ameen, Amer, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ames's data
- Ames's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (526 total births) through the 2020s (513) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Amess (87 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 Ames
Nearby Names Like Ames
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ames
Ameer Boy
#932 6,596 births
Americo Boy
#9938 2,911 births
Ameen Boy
#2329 1,759 births
Amer Boy
#4926 1,438 births
Amen Boy
#2144 1,259 births
Compare Ames side by side: Ames vs Ameer Ames vs Americo Ames vs Ameen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ames
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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ames: #2015 Boys' Name - 1,855 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ames. 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 Ames 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.