Total births
2,173
Boys' name · since 1917
Athan
2,173 babies named Athan in U.S. Social Security records since 1917, with the highest year being 2012. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2318
- among boys today
- 2,173
- born since 1917
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
2,173 babies have been named Athan since 1917, making it today's #2318 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Athan has been recorded 2,173 times among boys since 1917, currently ranked #2318 nationally and more common than 84% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #2318 among boys today
- 2,173 born since 1917
- 2010s peak decade
- 84% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Athan is currently the #2318 boys' name in America, more common than 84% of boys - 2,173 born since 1917, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2318
- among boys today
- 2,173
- born since 1917
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Athan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2318
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 84% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Athan was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
123 babies were named Athan in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Athan compares
2,173 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
Athan's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Athan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,173 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 123 | 23 | 22,252 |
Athan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Athan's full recorded timeline at 1995, 90% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 10% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2012 peak of 123 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Athan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2012
Current rank
#2,318
Active since
1917
Athan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 123
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Athan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Athan's strongest decade.
935 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Athan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 6
1920s
6 births
- 1940s 11
1940s
11 births
- 1950s 10
1950s
10 births
- 1960s 24
1960s
24 births
- 1970s 47
1970s
47 births
- 1980s 92
1980s
92 births
- 1990s 80
1990s
80 births
- 2000s
2000s
597 births
- 2010s
2010s
935 births
- 2020s 366
2020s
366 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 935 births (43% of all-time use).
How Athan 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 Athan's total volume
Athan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Athan by state
Where Athan concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 418 | 19.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 275 | 12.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 73 | 3.4% |
| #4 | New York | | 31 | 1.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 30 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 28 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Arizona | | 11 | 0.5% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 11 | 0.5% |
California share of Athan's total US births 19.2%
Even split
418 of 2,173 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Athan appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Athan? ▼
Since 1917, Social Security records show 2,173 babies named Athan. Today it holds rank #2318 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2012, with 123 births.
When was Athan most popular? ▼
Athan was most popular in the 2010s decade with 935 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Athan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Athan are California (418 births), Texas (275 births), Florida (73 births).
How long has the name Athan been used? ▼
Athan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1917, spanning 109 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Athan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Atharv, Athanasios, Atharva, Athen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Athan's data
- Athan's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (935 total births) through the 2020s (366) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Athans (418 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 Athan
Nearby Names Like Athan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Athan
Atharv Boy
#1004 2,385 births
Athanasios Boy
#4459 1,284 births
Atharva Boy
#2207 1,094 births
Athen Boy
#4505 692 births
Athony Boy
516 births
Compare Athan side by side: Athan vs Atharv Athan vs Athanasios Athan vs Atharva
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Athan
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, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Athan: #2318 Boys' Name - 2,173 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/athan. 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 Athan 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.