Buck
Buck was given to 76 boys in 2025, #1,993 among boys’ names; 6,610 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 3,380 Americans named Buck and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (51% of everyone recorded); the median is 45 years old and half are between 25 and 58.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Buck by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Buck mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Buck is “a male given name from Old English.”
For both the English surname and given name, originally a nickname for someone who resembled a buck.
Also as an English topographic surname, from Middle English buk (modern beech).
As a German and Dutch surname, shortened from Burkhard, compare Burkhart.
As a north German and Danish surname, from Middle Low German bûk (“belly”), from Old Saxon būk, from Proto-West Germanic *būk, from Proto-Germanic *būkaz. Compare Bauch.
Also as a German and Dutch surname, variant of Bock.
Also as a German surname, variant of Puck.
As a Germanized Lower Sorbian surname, from buk (“beech”).
/bʌk/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Buck?
#1,993 among boys’ names, 2025
Buck rose from #3,893 in 2015 to #1,993 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 14.1 to 44.5 per million.
102 babies in 1919, the peak
Buck peaked in 1919, when 102 boys were given it, #597 among boys’ names. The 76 births of 2025 are 75% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 76 | #1,993 | 0.04 |
| 2024 | 55 | #2,478 | 0.03 |
| 2023 | 68 | #2,129 | 0.04 |
| 2022 | 49 | #2,677 | 0.03 |
| 2021 | 57 | #2,379 | 0.03 |
| 2020 | 45 | #2,732 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 45 | #2,771 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 36 | #3,176 | 0.02 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2,351 | 0.03 |
| 2016 | 38 | #3,066 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 27 | #3,893 | 0.01 |
| 2014 | 41 | #2,848 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 23 | #4,197 | 0.01 |
| 2012 | 23 | #4,269 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 16 | #5,461 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 21 | #4,542 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 21 | #4,599 | 0.01 |
| 2008 | 23 | #4,281 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 22 | #4,392 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 17 | #5,100 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 26 | #3,626 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 22 | #4,024 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 12 | #5,919 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 19 | #4,202 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 18 | #4,317 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 12 | #5,612 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 17 | #4,175 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 20 | #3,604 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 14 | #4,475 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 25 | #2,927 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 21 | #3,199 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 23 | #3,031 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 21 | #3,152 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 42 | #1,917 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 24 | #2,755 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 57 | #1,496 | 0.03 |
| 1989 | 65 | #1,357 | 0.03 |
| 1988 | 51 | #1,478 | 0.03 |
| 1987 | 57 | #1,294 | 0.03 |
| 1986 | 64 | #1,190 | 0.03 |
| 1985 | 61 | #1,215 | 0.03 |
| 1984 | 67 | #1,095 | 0.04 |
| 1983 | 73 | #1,035 | 0.04 |
| 1982 | 99 | #900 | 0.05 |
| 1981 | 96 | #915 | 0.05 |
| 1980 | 94 | #920 | 0.05 |
| 1979 | 93 | #907 | 0.05 |
| 1978 | 76 | #989 | 0.05 |
| 1977 | 85 | #924 | 0.05 |
| 1976 | 85 | #899 | 0.05 |
| 1975 | 53 | #1,160 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 62 | #1,045 | 0.04 |
| 1973 | 59 | #1,057 | 0.04 |
| 1972 | 67 | #988 | 0.04 |
| 1971 | 56 | #1,091 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 73 | #933 | 0.04 |
| 1969 | 58 | #1,008 | 0.03 |
| 1968 | 59 | #947 | 0.03 |
| 1967 | 35 | #1,274 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 39 | #1,201 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 36 | #1,277 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 46 | #1,129 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 42 | #1,199 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 53 | #1,045 | 0.03 |
| 1961 | 44 | #1,196 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 61 | #972 | 0.03 |
| 1959 | 58 | #1,012 | 0.03 |
| 1958 | 32 | #1,372 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 44 | #1,167 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 59 | #970 | 0.03 |
| 1955 | 45 | #1,105 | 0.02 |
| 1954 | 43 | #1,137 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 44 | #1,103 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 36 | #1,227 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 36 | #1,220 | 0.02 |
| 1950 | 42 | #1,085 | 0.02 |
| 1949 | 43 | #1,072 | 0.02 |
| 1948 | 49 | #1,002 | 0.03 |
| 1947 | 45 | #1,081 | 0.02 |
| 1946 | 47 | #983 | 0.03 |
| 1945 | 41 | #995 | 0.03 |
| 1944 | 34 | #1,141 | 0.02 |
| 1943 | 40 | #1,075 | 0.03 |
| 1942 | 44 | #1,009 | 0.03 |
| 1941 | 52 | #877 | 0.04 |
| 1940 | 47 | #930 | 0.04 |
| 1939 | 41 | #993 | 0.04 |
| 1938 | 52 | #860 | 0.05 |
| 1937 | 74 | #698 | 0.07 |
| 1936 | 70 | #714 | 0.07 |
| 1935 | 72 | #716 | 0.07 |
| 1934 | 66 | #753 | 0.06 |
| 1933 | 71 | #721 | 0.07 |
| 1932 | 73 | #730 | 0.07 |
| 1931 | 67 | #760 | 0.06 |
| 1930 | 67 | #785 | 0.06 |
| 1929 | 52 | #931 | 0.05 |
| 1928 | 75 | #740 | 0.07 |
| 1927 | 69 | #801 | 0.06 |
| 1926 | 75 | #738 | 0.07 |
| 1925 | 83 | #711 | 0.07 |
| 1924 | 65 | #849 | 0.06 |
| 1923 | 82 | #719 | 0.07 |
| 1922 | 77 | #754 | 0.07 |
| 1921 | 92 | #674 | 0.08 |
| 1920 | 89 | #677 | 0.08 |
| 1919 | 102 | #597 | 0.10 |
| 1918 | 92 | #642 | 0.09 |
| 1917 | 86 | #642 | 0.09 |
| 1916 | 95 | #597 | 0.11 |
| 1915 | 80 | #647 | 0.09 |
| 1914 | 64 | #632 | 0.10 |
| 1913 | 57 | #579 | 0.11 |
| 1912 | 57 | #521 | 0.13 |
| 1911 | 46 | #427 | 0.20 |
| 1910 | 49 | #365 | 0.25 |
| 1909 | 40 | #378 | 0.24 |
| 1908 | 34 | #404 | 0.22 |
| 1907 | 33 | #388 | 0.22 |
| 1906 | 24 | #456 | 0.18 |
| 1905 | 27 | #414 | 0.20 |
| 1904 | 29 | #380 | 0.23 |
| 1903 | 24 | #402 | 0.20 |
| 1902 | 17 | #524 | 0.14 |
| 1901 | 12 | #604 | 0.11 |
| 1900 | 32 | #393 | 0.21 |
| 1899 | 21 | #402 | 0.20 |
| 1898 | 17 | #510 | 0.14 |
| 1897 | 16 | #500 | 0.14 |
| 1896 | 19 | #466 | 0.16 |
| 1895 | 12 | #610 | 0.10 |
| 1894 | 12 | #597 | 0.10 |
| 1893 | 14 | #513 | 0.12 |
| 1892 | 17 | #482 | 0.14 |
| 1891 | 20 | #388 | 0.20 |
| 1890 | 9 | #673 | 0.08 |
| 1889 | 9 | #682 | 0.08 |
| 1888 | 18 | #447 | 0.15 |
| 1887 | 14 | #462 | 0.14 |
| 1886 | 12 | #548 | 0.11 |
| 1885 | 18 | #423 | 0.17 |
| 1884 | 13 | #523 | 0.11 |
| 1883 | 5 | #913 | 0.05 |
| 1882 | 12 | #544 | 0.11 |
| 1881 | 14 | #466 | 0.14 |
| 1880 | 5 | #933 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Buck a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Buck has been recorded only for boys: SSA lists no girls with the name in 146 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Buck: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Buck, and how old are they?
3,380 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 51% of the 6,610 Americans ever recorded as Buck. The median Buck alive today is 45 years old; half are between 25 and 58.
The 2020 Census counted 3,308 people named Buck (23 women and girls, 3,285 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 3,337 born in the U.S. The Census count is 1% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 173 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 577 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 917 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 799 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 298 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 611 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Buck born?
The states with the most babies named Buck are Texas, California and Oklahoma, with 57% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Oklahoma is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 659 | #1,668 | 1.6× |
| California | 345 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Oklahoma | 249 | not ranked | 2.5× |
| North Carolina | 231 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Georgia | 108 | #1,382 | 0.6× |
| South Carolina | 95 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Arkansas | 78 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Mississippi | 70 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Florida | 66 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Alabama | 60 | not ranked | 0.5× |
Where Buck is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Buck is most over-represented in Oklahoma: since 1910 it was given 2.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Buck with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Buck
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Buck and names like it
- Compare Buck and ObieBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sBuck peaked in 1919.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Buck since 1910.
- Old English namesWiktionary’s origin for Buck: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1919The year the most babies were named Buck.
- The names of Generation XMost people named Buck alive today were born 1965-1980.
- Names starting with BMost given first.