Boys' name · since 1883
Ancel
Since 1883, U.S. Social Security records show 751 babies named Ancel, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6,143 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 751
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ancel sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 751 recorded since 1883.
Ancel has 751 recorded births among boys since 1883, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2019.
- #6,143 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 751 born since 1883
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ancel ranks #6,143 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 751 born since 1883, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6,143 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 751
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ancel's 751 recorded births place it above 86.48% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Kentucky.
Ancel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ancel splits its recorded history at 1941: 36% of all births land in the more recent half, 64% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1919 peak of 25 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ancel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2019
- Peak year (1919)
- 25
- Annual births at peak, across 137 years of records
Ancel by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (167 births, 22% of the file).
1920s was Ancel's strongest decade.
167 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Ancel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 16
1880s
16 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 17
1900s
17 births
- 1910s
1910s
145 births
- 1920s
1920s
167 births
- 1930s
1930s
119 births
- 1940s
1940s
97 births
- 1950s 48
1950s
48 births
- 1960s 34
1960s
34 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s 10
1990s
10 births
- 2000s 21
2000s
21 births
- 2010s 55
2010s
55 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 167 births (22% of all-time use).
How Ancel 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 Ancel's total volume
Ancel by state
Where Ancel concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 10 | 1.3% |
| #2 | Missouri | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Texas | | 5 | 0.7% |
10 of 751 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Ancel's data
- Ancel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (167 total births); usage has since declined to 55 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Ancels (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ancel
Nearby Names Like Ancel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ancel
Compare Ancel side by side: Ancel vs Ancil Ancel vs Anchor Ancel vs Ancelmo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ancel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1919)
Similar record span (~136 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, 1883–2019 (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 Ancel 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.