Total births
1,477
Boys' name · since 1881
Brown
1,477 babies named Brown in U.S. Social Security records since 1881, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 1,477
- total births
- 1881–2025
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
Brown is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,477 have been recorded since 1881.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Brown has been recorded 1,477 times among boys since 1881, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- 1,477 total births
- 1881–2025 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,477 boys have been named Brown since 1881, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 2025.
- 1,477
- total births
- 1881–2025
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Brown was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
55 babies were named Brown in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
Brown's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Brown's SSA record in two at 1932 and the more recent half accounts for 38% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 62%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1890, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 55, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Brown at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1918
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1881
Brown popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 55
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Brown popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1983 (Brown as girls' name)
Brown by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Brown's strongest decade.
320 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Brown births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 74
1880s
74 births
- 1890s 79
1890s
79 births
- 1900s 98
1900s
98 births
- 1910s
1910s
320 births
- 1920s
1920s
311 births
- 1930s
1930s
197 births
- 1940s
1940s
153 births
- 1950s 92
1950s
92 births
- 1960s 53
1960s
53 births
- 1970s 20
1970s
20 births
- 1980s 30
1980s
30 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s 7
2000s
7 births
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
- 2020s 31
2020s
31 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 320 births (22% of all-time use).
How Brown 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 Brown's total volume
Brown vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brown by state
Where Brown concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tennessee | | 82 | 5.6% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 37 | 2.5% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 34 | 2.3% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 29 | 2.0% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 28 | 1.9% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 17 | 1.2% |
| #7 | South Carolina | | 16 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 6 | 0.4% |
Tennessee share of Brown's total US births 5.6%
Even split
82 of 1,477 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Brown appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brown? ▼
Brown has been given to 1,477 babies in the U.S. since 1881, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2025. 55 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Brown most popular? ▼
Brown was most popular in the 1910s decade with 320 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Brown most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brown are Tennessee (82 births), Kentucky (37 births), Georgia (34 births).
How long has the name Brown been used? ▼
Records for Brown go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Brown? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brody, Brooks, Brock, Brodie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brown's data
- Brown's decade-level peak was the 1910s (320 total births); usage has since declined to 31 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Tennessee records the most Browns (82 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Tennessee 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 Brown
Nearby Names Like Brown
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brown
Brody Boy
#224 81,678 births
Brooks Boy
#67 57,946 births
Brock Boy
#702 43,540 births
Brodie Boy
#961 11,391 births
Bronson Boy
#1035 10,693 births
Compare Brown side by side: Brown vs Brody Brown vs Brooks Brown vs Brock
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brown: Baby Name Since 1881 - 1,477 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brown. 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 Brown 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 July 2026.