Total births
22,486
Boys' name · since 1880
Burton
Burton has 22,486 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1925 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5067
- among boys today
- 22,486
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Burton is the #5067 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 22,486 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Burton has been recorded 22,486 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #5067 nationally and more common than 65% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5067 among boys today
- 22,486 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 65% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Burton is currently the #5067 boys' name in America, more common than 65% of boys - 22,486 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5067
- among boys today
- 22,486
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other boys
Burton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5067
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 65% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Burton was born in this single decade.
1925
Single peak year
597 babies were named Burton in 1925 - its busiest year on record.
How Burton compares
22,486 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
Burton's all-time total is 61x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Burton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 22,486 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 597 | 23 | 22,252 |
Burton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Burton splits its recorded history at 1953: 25% of all births land in the more recent half, 75% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2008 (19 births) -- compare that against the 1925 peak of 597 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Burton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1925
Current rank
#5,067
Active since
1880
Burton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1925)
- 597
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Burton popularity over time - girls
48 total births recorded since 1916 (Burton as girls' name)
Burton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Burton's strongest decade.
5,225 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Burton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 348
1880s
348 births
- 1890s 313
1890s
313 births
- 1900s 404
1900s
404 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,741 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,225 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,273 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,960 births
- 1950s 1,998
1950s
1,998 births
- 1960s 1,560
1960s
1,560 births
- 1970s 980
1970s
980 births
- 1980s 673
1980s
673 births
- 1990s 323
1990s
323 births
- 2000s 250
2000s
250 births
- 2010s 279
2010s
279 births
- 2020s 159
2020s
159 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 5,225 births (23% of all-time use).
How Burton 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 Burton's total volume
Burton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Burton by state
Where Burton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,003 | 13.4% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 1,396 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 1,278 | 5.7% |
| #4 | California | | 1,078 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 1,052 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 784 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 777 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 712 | 3.2% |
New York share of Burton's total US births 13.4%
Even split
3,003 of 22,486 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Burton appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Burton? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 22,486 babies named Burton. Today it holds rank #5067 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1925, with 597 births.
When was Burton most popular? ▼
Burton was most popular in the 1920s decade with 5,225 total births. The single peak year was 1925.
Where is Burton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Burton are New York (3,003 births), Illinois (1,396 births), Pennsylvania (1,278 births).
How long has the name Burton been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Burton since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Burton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Burl, Burt, Burke, Burnell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Burton's data
- Burton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (5,225 total births); usage has since declined to 159 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Burtons (3,003 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Burton
Nearby Names Like Burton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Burton
Burl Boy
#9898 7,181 births
Burt Boy
6,555 births
Burke Boy
#3222 4,118 births
Burnell Boy
2,790 births
Burley Boy
2,310 births
Compare Burton side by side: Burton vs Burl Burton vs Burt Burton vs Burke
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Burton
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, 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. "Burton: #5067 Boys' Name - 22,486 Births, Peak 1925." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/burton. 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 Burton 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.