Total births
1,057
Boys' name · since 1970
Atom
1,057 babies named Atom in U.S. Social Security records since 1970, with the highest year being 2017. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3181
- among boys today
- 1,057
- born since 1970
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
Atom currently ranks #3181 among boys' names in America, with 1,057 babies recorded since 1970.
Social Security Administration records show Atom recorded 1,057 times among boys since 1970, holding rank #3181 nationally today, ahead of 78% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2025.
- #3181 among boys today
- 1,057 born since 1970
- 2010s peak decade
- 78% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Atom is currently the #3181 boys' name in America, more common than 78% of boys - 1,057 born since 1970, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3181
- among boys today
- 1,057
- born since 1970
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
Atom vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3181
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 78% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
49% of everyone ever named Atom was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
68 babies were named Atom in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Atom compares
1,057 Top 30% higher than 70% 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
Atom's all-time total is 188% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Atom | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,057 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 68 | 23 | 22,252 |
Atom's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Atom's full recorded timeline at 2004, 84% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 16% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1975, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2017 peak of 68 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Atom at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2017
Current rank
#3,181
Active since
1970
Atom popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 68
- Annual births at peak, across 56 years of records
Atom by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Atom's strongest decade.
515 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 49% of all-time use.
Atom births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 29
1970s
29 births
- 1980s 42
1980s
42 births
- 1990s 57
1990s
57 births
- 2000s 165
2000s
165 births
- 2010s
2010s
515 births
- 2020s
2020s
249 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 515 births (49% of all-time use).
How Atom 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 Atom's total volume
Atom vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Atom by state
Where Atom concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 206 | 19.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 92 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 23 | 2.2% |
| #4 | Colorado | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #5 | New York | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Washington | | 5 | 0.5% |
California share of Atom's total US births 19.5%
Even split
206 of 1,057 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Atom? ▼
Since 1970, Social Security records show 1,057 babies named Atom. Today it holds rank #3181 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2017, with 68 births.
When was Atom most popular? ▼
Atom was most popular in the 2010s decade with 515 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Atom most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Atom are California (206 births), Texas (92 births), Florida (23 births).
How long has the name Atom been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Atom since 1970 -- 56 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Atom? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ato, Atonio. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Atom's data
- Atom's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (515 total births) through the 2020s (249) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Atoms (206 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 Atom
Nearby Names Like Atom
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Atom
Compare Atom side by side: Atom vs Ato Atom vs Atonio
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Atom
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, 1970–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Atom: #3181 Boys' Name - 1,057 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/atom. 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 Atom 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.