Total births
10,901
Unisex name · since 1880
Boston
Boston has 10,901 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2014 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #627
- among boys today
- 10,901
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Boston currently ranks #627 among unisex names in America, with 10,901 babies recorded since 1880.
Boston has 10,901 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #627 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #627 among boys today
- 10,901 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Boston is currently the #627 unisex name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 10,901 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #627
- among boys today
- 10,901
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Boston vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#627
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Boston was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
497 babies were named Boston in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Boston compares
10,901 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Boston's all-time total is 30x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Boston | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,901 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 497 | 23 | 22,252 |
Boston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Boston splits its recorded history at 1962: 96% of all births land in the more recent half, 4% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2014 peak of 497 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Boston at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2014
Current rank
#627
Active since
1880
Boston popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 497
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Boston popularity over time - girls
1,043 total births recorded since 1992 (Boston as girls' name)
Boston by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Boston's strongest decade.
4,481 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Boston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 15
1880s
15 births
- 1890s 12
1890s
12 births
- 1900s 29
1900s
29 births
- 1910s 94
1910s
94 births
- 1920s 119
1920s
119 births
- 1930s 72
1930s
72 births
- 1940s 76
1940s
76 births
- 1950s 33
1950s
33 births
- 1960s 22
1960s
22 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1980s 111
1980s
111 births
- 1990s 495
1990s
495 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,609 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,481 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,716 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 4,481 births (41% of all-time use).
How Boston 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 Boston's total volume
Boston vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Boston by state
Where Boston concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Utah | | 1,578 | 14.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 924 | 8.5% |
| #3 | California | | 638 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 526 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 427 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 318 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 291 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 291 | 2.7% |
Utah share of Boston's total US births 14.5%
Even split
1,578 of 10,901 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Boston appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Boston? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 10,901 babies named Boston. Today it holds rank #627 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2014, with 497 births.
When was Boston most popular? ▼
Boston was most popular in the 2010s decade with 4,481 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Boston most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Boston are Utah (1,578 births), Texas (924 births), California (638 births).
Is Boston a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Boston is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 10,901 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,043 births.
How long has the name Boston been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Boston since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Boston? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Boss, Bosco, Bostyn, Bosten, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Boston's data
- Boston's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (4,481 total births) through the 2020s (2,716) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Utah records the most Bostons (1,578 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Utah 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 Boston
Nearby Names Like Boston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Boston
Boss Boy
#9006 451 births
Bosco Boy
#3758 432 births
Bostyn Boy
#5020 299 births
Bosten Boy
103 births
Bossie Boy
50 births
Compare Boston side by side: Boston vs Boss Boston vs Bosco Boston vs Bostyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Boston
Phillip #626
311,561 births · Peak 1960
Kamden #628
12,556 births · Peak 2013
Jayson #625
35,931 births · Peak 2004
Eliseo #629
11,996 births · Peak 2025
Trevor #624
161,164 births · Peak 1998
Crue #630
2,574 births · Peak 2024
Reign #623
4,002 births · Peak 2021
Mauricio #631
24,225 births · Peak 2008
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. "Boston: #627 Unisex Name - 10,901 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/boston. 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 Boston 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.