Total births
9,502
Boys' name · since 1880
Bud
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 9,502 babies named Bud, peaking in 1928. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6201
- among boys today
- 9,502
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Bud is the #6201 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 9,502 recorded since 1880.
Bud has 9,502 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6201 as of the latest data, more common than 57% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- 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.
- #6201 among boys today
- 9,502 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 57% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Bud is currently the #6201 boys' name in America, more common than 57% of boys - 9,502 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6201
- among boys today
- 9,502
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other boys
Bud vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6201
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 57% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Bud was born in this single decade.
1928
Single peak year
215 babies were named Bud in 1928 - its busiest year on record.
How Bud compares
9,502 Top 9% higher than 91% 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
Bud's all-time total is 26x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bud | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,502 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 215 | 23 | 22,252 |
Bud's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bud's SSA record in two at 1949 and the more recent half accounts for 31% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 69%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2021, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1928 peak of 215, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bud at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1928
Current rank
#6,201
Active since
1880
Bud popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1928)
- 215
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Bud by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Bud's strongest decade.
1,882 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Bud births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 401
1880s
401 births
- 1890s 359
1890s
359 births
- 1900s 340
1900s
340 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,202 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,882 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,512 births
- 1940s
1940s
993 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,096 births
- 1960s 677
1960s
677 births
- 1970s 341
1970s
341 births
- 1980s 361
1980s
361 births
- 1990s 147
1990s
147 births
- 2000s 50
2000s
50 births
- 2010s 75
2010s
75 births
- 2020s 66
2020s
66 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,882 births (20% of all-time use).
How Bud 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 Bud's total volume
Bud vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Bud by state
Where Bud concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 677 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 338 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 297 | 3.1% |
| #4 | Texas | | 278 | 2.9% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 247 | 2.6% |
| #6 | Washington | | 234 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 233 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 195 | 2.1% |
California share of Bud's total US births 7.1%
Even split
677 of 9,502 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Bud appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bud? ▼
Bud has been given to 9,502 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #6201 as of the latest data. 215 babies were born in 1928, its single highest year.
When was Bud most popular? ▼
Bud was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,882 total births. The single peak year was 1928.
Where is Bud most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bud are California (677 births), Michigan (338 births), Ohio (297 births).
How long has the name Bud been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Bud since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Bud? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Buddy, Buddie, Budd, Buddha. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Bud's data
- Bud's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,882 total births); usage has since declined to 66 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Buds (677 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 Bud
Nearby Names Like Bud
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bud
Compare Bud side by side: Bud vs Buddy Bud vs Buddie Bud vs Budd
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bud
Delbert #6200
46,930 births · Peak 1932
Norris #6202
16,456 births · Peak 1924
Gustave #6199
5,430 births · Peak 1915
Ernie #6203
16,520 births · Peak 1959
Vedang #6198
34 births · Peak 2025
Mitchel #6204
13,287 births · Peak 1994
Manoe #6197
21 births · Peak 2024
Ottis #6205
4,473 births · Peak 1920
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, 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. "Bud: #6201 Boys' Name - 9,502 Births, Peak 1928." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bud. 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 Bud 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.