Total births
383
Unisex name · since 1890
Babe
Since 1890, U.S. Social Security records show 383 babies named Babe, peaking in 1915. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 383
- total births
- 1890–1947
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that decade
383 girls have been named Babe since 1890, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Babe has 383 recorded births among girls since 1890, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1890 to 1947.
- 383 total births
- 1890–1947 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 35% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
383 girls have been named Babe since 1890, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1947.
- 383
- total births
- 1890–1947
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Babe was born in this single decade.
1915
Single peak year
19 babies were named Babe in 1915 - its busiest year on record.
Babe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Babe splits its recorded history at 1918: 56% of all births land in the more recent half, 44% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1890 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1915 peak of 19 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Babe at a glance
Last recorded 1947Peak year
1915
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1890
Babe popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1890–1947
- Peak year (1915)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Babe popularity over time - boys
345 total births recorded since 1880 (Babe as boys' name)
Babe by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Babe's strongest decade.
133 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Babe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 20
1890s
20 births
- 1900s 52
1900s
52 births
- 1910s
1910s
115 births
- 1920s
1920s
133 births
- 1930s
1930s
58 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 133 births (35% of all-time use).
Babe by state
Where Babe concentrates geographically, total births since 1890
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 5 | 1.3% |
Texas share of Babe's total US births 1.3%
5 of 383 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Babe? ▼
Since 1890, Social Security records show 383 babies named Babe. The most recent recorded year was 1947. Its busiest year on record was 1915, with 19 births.
When was Babe most popular? ▼
Babe was most popular in the 1920s decade with 133 total births. The single peak year was 1915.
Where is Babe most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Babe are Texas (5 births).
Is Babe a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Babe is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 383 births, and as a boy's name it has 345 births.
How long has the name Babe been used? ▼
Babe has been recorded in Social Security data since 1890, spanning 58 years of data through 1947.
What names are similar to Babe? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Baby, Babette, Babygirl, Babara, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Babe's data
- Babe's decade-level peak was the 1920s (133 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Babes (5 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 Babe
Nearby Names Like Babe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Babe
Baby Girl
#4787 6,107 births
Babette Girl
3,282 births
Babygirl Girl
#4428 2,069 births
Babara Girl
431 births
Babs Girl
285 births
Compare Babe side by side: Babe vs Baby Babe vs Babette Babe vs Babygirl
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1890–1947 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Babe: Baby Name Since 1890 - 383 Births, Peak 1915." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/babe. 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 Babe 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.