Boys' name · since 1976
Bowden
Bowden has 656 recorded births since 1976 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,706 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,947 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 656
- born since 1976
- 2020s
- peak decade
Yes -- Bowden is the #1947 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 656 recorded since 1976.
Social Security Administration records show Bowden recorded 656 times among boys since 1976, holding rank #1947 nationally today, ahead of 86% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2025.
- #6,706 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,947 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 656 born since 1976
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bowden ranks #6,706 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,947 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 656 born since 1976, peaking in the 2020s.
- #6,706 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,947 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 656
- born since 1976
- 2020s
- peak decade
Bowden's 656 recorded births place it above 85.25% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Bowden compares
656 Top 39% higher than 61% of 13,930 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
Bowden's all-time total is 78% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bowden | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 656 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 79 | 34 | 22,252 |
Bowden's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bowden's SSA record in two at 2012 and the more recent half accounts for 76% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 24%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1976, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2025 peak of 79, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bowden popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 79
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Bowden by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (289 births, 44% of the file).
2020s was Bowden's strongest decade.
289 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Bowden births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s 111
2000s
111 births
- 2010s
2010s
245 births
- 2020s
2020s
289 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 289 births (44% of all-time use).
How Bowden 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 Bowden's total volume
Bowden by state
Where Bowden concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 1.5% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 5 | 0.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.8% |
| #5 | South Dakota | | 5 | 0.8% |
10 of 656 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Bowden's data
- California records the most Bowdens (10 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 Bowden
Nearby Names Like Bowden
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bowden
Compare Bowden side by side: Bowden vs Bowen Bowden vs Bowie Bowden vs Bowman
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bowden
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bowden: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~49 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, 1976–2025 (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 Bowden 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.