Total births
1,159
Boys' name · since 1880
Ballard
1,159 babies named Ballard in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 1,159
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
Ballard sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 1,159 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ballard has been recorded 1,159 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- 1,159 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,159 boys have been named Ballard since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 1,159
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Ballard was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
40 babies were named Ballard in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
Ballard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ballard's full recorded timeline at 1935, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1885, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1922 peak of 40 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ballard at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1922
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Ballard popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 40
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ballard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ballard's strongest decade.
257 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Ballard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 60
1880s
60 births
- 1890s 24
1890s
24 births
- 1900s 27
1900s
27 births
- 1910s
1910s
193 births
- 1920s
1920s
257 births
- 1930s
1930s
194 births
- 1940s
1940s
157 births
- 1950s
1950s
129 births
- 1960s 69
1960s
69 births
- 1970s 24
1970s
24 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s 7
1990s
7 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 257 births (22% of all-time use).
How Ballard 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 Ballard's total volume
Ballard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ballard by state
Where Ballard concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 262 | 22.6% |
| #2 | Virginia | | 70 | 6.0% |
| #3 | West Virginia | | 19 | 1.6% |
Kentucky share of Ballard's total US births 22.6%
Even split
262 of 1,159 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ballard? ▼
1,159 babies have been named Ballard since 1880. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1922 with 40 births.
When was Ballard most popular? ▼
Ballard was most popular in the 1920s decade with 257 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Ballard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ballard are Kentucky (262 births), Virginia (70 births), West Virginia (19 births).
How long has the name Ballard been used? ▼
Ballard has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ballard? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Baltazar, Baldemar, Baldomero, Baldwin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ballard's data
- Ballard's decade-level peak was the 1920s (257 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Ballards (262 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Ballard
Nearby Names Like Ballard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ballard
Baltazar Boy
#2927 2,743 births
Baldemar Boy
#7838 2,256 births
Baldomero Boy
1,079 births
Baldwin Boy
634 births
Balin Boy
421 births
Compare Ballard side by side: Ballard vs Baltazar Ballard vs Baldemar Ballard vs Baldomero
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ballard: Baby Name Since 1880 - 1,159 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ballard. 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 Ballard 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.