Boys' name · since 1880
Burl
Burl has 7,181 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,447 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 7,181
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Burl sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 7,181 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Burl recorded 7,181 times among boys since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2024.
- #1,447 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 7,181 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Burl ranks #1,447 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 7,181 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,447 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 7,181
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Burl's 7,181 recorded births place it above 96.81% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Burl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Burl's full recorded timeline at 1941, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1989, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 211 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Burl popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2024
- Peak year (1921)
- 211
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Burl popularity over time - girls
19 total births recorded since 1924 (Burl as girls' name)
Burl by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (1,656 births, 23% of the file).
1920s was Burl's strongest decade.
1,656 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Burl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 152
1880s
152 births
- 1890s 135
1890s
135 births
- 1900s 180
1900s
180 births
- 1910s
1910s
989 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,656 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,292 births
- 1940s
1940s
994 births
- 1950s
1950s
832 births
- 1960s 452
1960s
452 births
- 1970s 265
1970s
265 births
- 1980s 144
1980s
144 births
- 1990s 42
1990s
42 births
- 2000s 18
2000s
18 births
- 2010s 18
2010s
18 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,656 births (23% of all-time use).
How Burl 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 Burl's total volume
Burl by state
Where Burl concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 637 | 8.9% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 509 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Arkansas | | 459 | 6.4% |
| #4 | West Virginia | | 433 | 6.0% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 324 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 301 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 285 | 4.0% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 197 | 2.7% |
637 of 7,181 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Burl appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Burl? ▼
Where does Burl sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Burl most popular? ▼
Where is Burl most popular? ▼
How long has the name Burl been used? ▼
What names are similar to Burl? ▼
What to do with Burl's data
- Burl's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,656 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Burls (637 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Burl
Nearby Names Like Burl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Burl
Compare Burl side by side: Burl vs Burton Burl vs Burt Burl vs Burke
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Burl: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1921)
Similar record span (~144 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Burl 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 August 2026.