Total births
318
Boys' name · since 1920
Barkley
318 babies named Barkley in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 1994. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 318
- total births
- 1920–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
Barkley sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 318 recorded since 1920.
Social Security Administration records show Barkley recorded 318 times among boys since 1920, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 2025.
- 318 total births
- 1920–2025 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
318 boys have been named Barkley since 1920, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2025.
- 318
- total births
- 1920–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Barkley was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
17 babies were named Barkley in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
Barkley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Barkley splits its recorded history at 1961: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1927 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1994 peak of 17 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Barkley at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1994
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1920
Barkley popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Barkley popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1993 (Barkley as girls' name)
Barkley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Barkley's strongest decade.
69 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Barkley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 25
1920s
25 births
- 1930s 18
1930s
18 births
- 1940s
1940s
38 births
- 1950s
1950s
69 births
- 1960s 27
1960s
27 births
- 1970s
1970s
30 births
- 1980s
1980s
41 births
- 1990s
1990s
38 births
- 2000s 13
2000s
13 births
- 2010s 7
2010s
7 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 69 births (22% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Barkley? ▼
Since 1920, Social Security records show 318 babies named Barkley. The most recent recorded year was 2025. Its busiest year on record was 1994, with 17 births.
When was Barkley most popular? ▼
Barkley was most popular in the 1950s decade with 69 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
How long has the name Barkley been used? ▼
Barkley has been recorded in Social Security data since 1920, spanning 106 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Barkley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Barry, Barrett, Bart, Barney, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Barkley's data
- Barkley's decade-level peak was the 1950s (69 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Barkley
Nearby Names Like Barkley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Barkley
Barry Boy
#1413 181,270 births
Barrett Boy
#187 33,425 births
Bart Boy
16,356 births
Barney Boy
#9895 16,090 births
Barton Boy
#12365 9,371 births
Compare Barkley side by side: Barkley vs Barry Barkley vs Barrett Barkley vs Bart
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, 1920–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Barkley: Baby Name Since 1920 - 318 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/barkley. 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 Barkley 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.