Total births
2,235
Unisex name · since 1920
Bowie
2,235 babies named Bowie in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 2021. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1213
- among boys today
- 2,235
- born since 1920
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Bowie is the #1213 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 2,235 recorded since 1920.
Social Security Administration records show Bowie recorded 2,235 times among boys since 1920, holding rank #1213 nationally today, ahead of 92% 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 1920 to 2025.
- #1213 among boys today
- 2,235 born since 1920
- 2020s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bowie is currently the #1213 unisex name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 2,235 born since 1920, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1213
- among boys today
- 2,235
- born since 1920
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Bowie vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1213
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
51% of everyone ever named Bowie was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
237 babies were named Bowie in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Bowie compares
2,235 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
Bowie's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bowie | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,235 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 237 | 23 | 22,252 |
Bowie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Bowie's full recorded timeline at 2007, 94% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 6% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1920, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2021 peak of 237 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Bowie at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2021
Current rank
#1,213
Active since
1920
Bowie popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 237
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Bowie popularity over time - girls
1,285 total births recorded since 2006 (Bowie as girls' name)
Bowie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Bowie's strongest decade.
1,136 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 51% of all-time use.
Bowie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1970s 15
1970s
15 births
- 1980s 31
1980s
31 births
- 1990s 19
1990s
19 births
- 2000s 133
2000s
133 births
- 2010s
2010s
896 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,136 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,136 births (51% of all-time use).
How Bowie 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 Bowie's total volume
Bowie vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Bowie by state
Where Bowie concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 417 | 18.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 128 | 5.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 106 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 75 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Washington | | 75 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Florida | | 70 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 61 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 59 | 2.6% |
California share of Bowie's total US births 18.7%
Even split
417 of 2,235 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Bowie appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bowie? ▼
Since 1920, Social Security records show 2,235 babies named Bowie. Today it holds rank #1213 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2021, with 237 births.
When was Bowie most popular? ▼
Bowie was most popular in the 2020s decade with 1,136 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Bowie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bowie are California (417 births), Texas (128 births), New York (106 births).
Is Bowie a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Bowie is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 2,235 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,285 births.
How long has the name Bowie been used? ▼
Records for Bowie go back to 1920, giving 106 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Bowie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bowen, Bowman, Bowden, Bow, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Bowie's data
- California records the most Bowies (417 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Bowie
Nearby Names Like Bowie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bowie
Bowen Boy
#321 13,187 births
Bowman Boy
#2506 1,022 births
Bowden Boy
#2620 656 births
Bow Boy
#7402 260 births
Bowyn Boy
#5205 210 births
Compare Bowie side by side: Bowie vs Bowen Bowie vs Bowman Bowie vs Bowden
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bowie
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. "Bowie: #1213 Unisex Name - 2,235 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bowie. 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 Bowie 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.