Total births
548,729
Boys' name · since 1880
Arthur
548,729 babies named Arthur in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #105
- among boys today
- 548,729
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other boys
548,729 babies have been named Arthur since 1880, making it today's #105 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Arthur recorded 548,729 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #105 nationally today, ahead of 99.3% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #105 among boys today
- 548,729 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 99.3% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Arthur is currently the #105 boys' name in America, more common than 99.3% of boys - 548,729 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #105
- among boys today
- 548,729
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other boys
Arthur vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#105
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.3% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Arthur was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
10,527 babies were named Arthur in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Arthur compares
548,729 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Arthur's all-time total is 1,495x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Arthur | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 548,729 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10,527 | 23 | 22,252 |
Arthur's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Arthur splits its recorded history at 1953: 31% of all births land in the more recent half, 69% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2010 (730 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 10,527 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Arthur at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1921
Current rank
#105
Active since
1880
Arthur popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 10,527
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Arthur popularity over time - girls
3,201 total births recorded since 1880 (Arthur as girls' name)
Arthur by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Arthur's strongest decade.
97,112 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Arthur births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 16,180
1880s
16,180 births
- 1890s 16,349
1890s
16,349 births
- 1900s 15,409
1900s
15,409 births
- 1910s
1910s
67,478 births
- 1920s
1920s
97,112 births
- 1930s
1930s
67,730 births
- 1940s
1940s
73,968 births
- 1950s
1950s
65,716 births
- 1960s
1960s
39,622 births
- 1970s 22,100
1970s
22,100 births
- 1980s 16,794
1980s
16,794 births
- 1990s 11,783
1990s
11,783 births
- 2000s 8,342
2000s
8,342 births
- 2010s 12,627
2010s
12,627 births
- 2020s 17,519
2020s
17,519 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 97,112 births (18% of all-time use).
How Arthur 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 Arthur's total volume
Arthur vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Arthur by state
Where Arthur concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 60,412 | 11.0% |
| #2 | California | | 37,526 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 28,601 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 27,466 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 25,740 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 24,943 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 20,983 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 20,067 | 3.7% |
New York share of Arthur's total US births 11.0%
Even split
60,412 of 548,729 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Arthur appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Arthur? ▼
Arthur has been given to 548,729 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #105 as of the latest data. 10,527 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Arthur most popular? ▼
Arthur was most popular in the 1920s decade with 97,112 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Arthur most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Arthur are New York (60,412 births), California (37,526 births), Pennsylvania (28,601 births).
How long has the name Arthur been used? ▼
Records for Arthur go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Arthur? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Arturo, Art, Artis, Arther, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Arthur's data
- Arthur's decade-level peak was the 1920s (97,112 total births); usage has since declined to 17,519 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Arthurs (60,412 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Arthur
Nearby Names Like Arthur
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Arthur
Arturo Boy
#578 57,082 births
Art Boy
#3899 6,141 births
Artis Boy
#4900 5,377 births
Arther Boy
4,993 births
Artie Boy
#6837 4,417 births
Compare Arthur side by side: Arthur vs Arturo Arthur vs Art Arthur vs Artis
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Arthur
Jordan #104
401,196 births · Peak 1990
Landon #106
186,603 births · Peak 2010
Easton #103
79,440 births · Peak 2016
Dominic #107
193,424 births · Peak 2013
Xavier #102
160,332 births · Peak 2007
Austin #108
438,042 births · Peak 1995
Atlas #101
25,893 births · Peak 2025
Adriel #109
33,645 births · Peak 2025
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. "Arthur: #105 Boys' Name - 548,729 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/arthur. 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 Arthur 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.