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.
- #13,867 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 383
- born since 1890
- 1920s
- peak 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.
- #13,867 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 383 born since 1890
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Babe ranks #13,867 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 383 born since 1890, peaking in the 1920s.
- #13,867 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 383
- born since 1890
- 1920s
- peak decade
Babe's 383 recorded births place it above 80.8% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
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 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
1920s is the heaviest window (133 births, 35% of the file).
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% |
5 of 383 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Babe side by side: Babe vs Baby Babe vs Babette Babe vs Babygirl
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Babe: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1915)
Similar record span (~57 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.