Total births
95
Unisex name · since 1979
Atari
Since 1979, U.S. Social Security records show 95 babies named Atari, peaking in 1982. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12753
- among boys today
- 95
- born since 1979
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Atari currently ranks #12753 among unisex names in America, with 95 babies recorded since 1979.
Social Security Administration records show Atari recorded 95 times among boys since 1979, holding rank #12753 nationally today, ahead of 11% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2025.
- #12753 among boys today
- 95 born since 1979
- 1980s peak decade
- 11% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Atari is currently the #12753 unisex name in America, more common than 11% of boys - 95 born since 1979, peaking in the 1980s.
- #12753
- among boys today
- 95
- born since 1979
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Atari vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12753
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 11% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Atari was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
16 babies were named Atari in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
How Atari compares
95 25th percentile among 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
Atari's all-time total is 74% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Atari | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 95 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 16 | 23 | 22,252 |
Atari's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Atari splits its recorded history at 2008: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1983 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1982 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Atari at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1982
Current rank
#12,753
Active since
1979
Atari popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 47 years of records
Atari popularity over time - girls
58 total births recorded since 1980 (Atari as girls' name)
Atari by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Atari's strongest decade.
44 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Atari births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s
1980s
44 births
- 2000s 17
2000s
17 births
- 2010s 14
2010s
14 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 44 births (46% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Atari? ▼
Since 1979, Social Security records show 95 babies named Atari. Today it holds rank #12753 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1982, with 16 births.
When was Atari most popular? ▼
Atari was most popular in the 1980s decade with 44 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Is Atari a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Atari is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 95 births, and as a girl's name it has 58 births.
How long has the name Atari been used? ▼
Atari has been recorded in Social Security data since 1979, spanning 47 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Atari? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Atanacio, Ata, Atal, Atavion, and 3 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Atari's data
- Atari's decade-level peak was the 1980s (44 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Atari
Nearby Names Like Atari
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Atari
Atanacio Boy
359 births
Ata Boy
#8515 316 births
Atal Boy
#10612 40 births
Atavion Boy
21 births
Atai Boy
#13660 18 births
Compare Atari side by side: Atari vs Atanacio Atari vs Ata Atari vs Atal
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Atari
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, 1979–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Atari: #12753 Unisex Name - 95 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/atari. 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 Atari 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.