Total births
8,125
Unisex name · since 1917
Austen
Austen has 8,125 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1995 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1963
- among boys today
- 8,125
- born since 1917
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
8,125 babies have been named Austen since 1917, making it today's #1963 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Austen recorded 8,125 times among boys since 1917, holding rank #1963 nationally today, ahead of 86% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #1963 among boys today
- 8,125 born since 1917
- 1990s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Austen is currently the #1963 unisex name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 8,125 born since 1917, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1963
- among boys today
- 8,125
- born since 1917
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Austen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1963
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Austen was born in this single decade.
1995
Single peak year
540 babies were named Austen in 1995 - its busiest year on record.
How Austen compares
8,125 Top 9% higher than 91% 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
Austen's all-time total is 22x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Austen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,125 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 540 | 23 | 22,252 |
Austen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Austen's full recorded timeline at 1997, 58% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 42% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1995 peak of 540 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Austen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1995
Current rank
#1,963
Active since
1917
Austen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1995)
- 540
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Austen popularity over time - girls
1,291 total births recorded since 1980 (Austen as girls' name)
Austen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Austen's strongest decade.
3,712 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Austen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 18
1920s
18 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 68
1970s
68 births
- 1980s 851
1980s
851 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,712 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,867 births
- 2010s 1,182
2010s
1,182 births
- 2020s 412
2020s
412 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,712 births (46% of all-time use).
How Austen 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 Austen's total volume
Austen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Austen by state
Where Austen concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 848 | 10.4% |
| #2 | California | | 832 | 10.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 338 | 4.2% |
| #4 | Florida | | 337 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 242 | 3.0% |
| #6 | New York | | 225 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 219 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 204 | 2.5% |
Texas share of Austen's total US births 10.4%
Even split
848 of 8,125 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Austen appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Austen? ▼
8,125 babies have been named Austen since 1917. It currently ranks #1963 among boys. The peak year was 1995 with 540 births.
When was Austen most popular? ▼
Austen was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,712 total births. The single peak year was 1995.
Where is Austen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Austen are Texas (848 births), California (832 births), Ohio (338 births).
Is Austen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Austen is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 8,125 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,291 births.
How long has the name Austen been used? ▼
Records for Austen go back to 1917, giving 109 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Austen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Austin, Austyn, Auston, Ausar, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Austen's data
- Austen's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,712 total births); usage has since declined to 412 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Austens (848 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Austen
Nearby Names Like Austen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Austen
Austin Boy
#108 438,042 births
Austyn Boy
#2276 5,173 births
Auston Boy
#3993 3,588 births
Ausar Boy
#4998 307 births
Austan Boy
197 births
Compare Austen side by side: Austen vs Austin Austen vs Austyn Austen vs Auston
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Austen
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. "Austen: #1963 Unisex Name - 8,125 Births, Peak 1995." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/austen. 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 Austen 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.