Total births
22,540
Boys' name · since 1893
Buddy
Buddy has 22,540 recorded births since 1893 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1935 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3795
- among boys today
- 22,540
- born since 1893
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other boys
22,540 babies have been named Buddy since 1893, making it today's #3795 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Buddy has been recorded 22,540 times among boys since 1893, currently ranked #3795 nationally and more common than 73% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1893 to 2025.
- #3795 among boys today
- 22,540 born since 1893
- 1930s peak decade
- 73% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Buddy is currently the #3795 boys' name in America, more common than 73% of boys - 22,540 born since 1893, peaking in the 1930s.
- #3795
- among boys today
- 22,540
- born since 1893
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other boys
Buddy vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3795
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 73% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Buddy was born in this single decade.
1935
Single peak year
604 babies were named Buddy in 1935 - its busiest year on record.
How Buddy compares
22,540 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Buddy's all-time total is 61x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Buddy | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 22,540 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 604 | 23 | 22,252 |
Buddy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Buddy's SSA record in two at 1960 and the more recent half accounts for 32% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 68%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1893, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1935 peak of 604, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Buddy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1935
Current rank
#3,795
Active since
1893
Buddy popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1893–2025
- Peak year (1935)
- 604
- Annual births at peak, across 133 years of records
Buddy popularity over time - girls
45 total births recorded since 1925 (Buddy as girls' name)
Buddy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Buddy's strongest decade.
5,104 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Buddy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 33
1890s
33 births
- 1900s 121
1900s
121 births
- 1910s 604
1910s
604 births
- 1920s 1,912
1920s
1,912 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,104 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,000 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,449 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,744 births
- 1970s 1,889
1970s
1,889 births
- 1980s 1,291
1980s
1,291 births
- 1990s 583
1990s
583 births
- 2000s 357
2000s
357 births
- 2010s 271
2010s
271 births
- 2020s 182
2020s
182 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 5,104 births (23% of all-time use).
How Buddy 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 Buddy's total volume
Buddy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Buddy by state
Where Buddy concentrates geographically, total births since 1893
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,165 | 9.6% |
| #2 | California | | 1,346 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 1,344 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 1,159 | 5.1% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 1,129 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 921 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 856 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 805 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Buddy's total US births 9.6%
Even split
2,165 of 22,540 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Buddy appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Buddy? ▼
22,540 babies have been named Buddy since 1893. It currently ranks #3795 among boys. The peak year was 1935 with 604 births.
When was Buddy most popular? ▼
Buddy was most popular in the 1930s decade with 5,104 total births. The single peak year was 1935.
Where is Buddy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Buddy are Texas (2,165 births), California (1,346 births), Oklahoma (1,344 births).
How long has the name Buddy been used? ▼
Records for Buddy go back to 1893, giving 133 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Buddy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bud, Buddie, Budd, Buddha. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Buddy's data
- Buddy's decade-level peak was the 1930s (5,104 total births); usage has since declined to 182 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Buddys (2,165 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Buddy
Nearby Names Like Buddy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Buddy
Compare Buddy side by side: Buddy vs Bud Buddy vs Buddie Buddy vs Budd
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Buddy
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, 1893–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Buddy: #3795 Boys' Name - 22,540 Births, Peak 1935." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/buddy. 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 Buddy 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.