Boys' name · since 1920
Bard
218 babies named Bard in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 1970. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12,422 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 218
- born since 1920
- 1950s
- peak decade
218 boys have been named Bard since 1920, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Bard has 218 recorded births among boys since 1920, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 1979.
- #12,422 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 218 born since 1920
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bard ranks #12,422 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 218 born since 1920, peaking in the 1950s.
- #12,422 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 218
- born since 1920
- 1950s
- peak decade
Bard's 218 recorded births place it above 72.64% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
Bard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Bard splits its recorded history at 1958: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1970 peak of 13 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Bard popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–1979
- Peak year (1970)
- 13
- Annual births at peak, across 60 years of records
Bard by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (79 births, 36% of the file).
1950s was Bard's strongest decade.
79 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Bard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 11
1920s
11 births
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s 28
1940s
28 births
- 1950s
1950s
79 births
- 1960s
1960s
55 births
- 1970s
1970s
39 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 79 births (36% of all-time use).
Bard by state
Where Bard concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6 | 2.8% |
6 of 218 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Bard's data
- Bard's usage has stayed within range of its 1950s decade-level peak (79 total births) through the 1970s (39) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Bards (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bard
Nearby Names Like Bard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bard
Compare Bard side by side: Bard vs Barry Bard vs Barrett Bard vs Bart
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bard: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~59 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, 1920–1979 (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 Bard 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.