Boys' name · since 1906
Caldwell
Since 1906, U.S. Social Security records show 636 babies named Caldwell, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6,833 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,885 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 636
- born since 1906
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Caldwell is the #5885 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 636 recorded since 1906.
Caldwell has 636 recorded births among boys since 1906, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5885 as of the latest data, more common than 58% 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 1906 to 2025.
- #6,833 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,885 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 636 born since 1906
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Caldwell ranks #6,833 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,885 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 636 born since 1906, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6,833 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,885 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 636
- born since 1906
- 1920s
- peak decade
Caldwell's 636 recorded births place it above 84.97% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by North Carolina.
How Caldwell compares
636 Top 40% higher than 60% of 13,930 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
Caldwell's all-time total is 72% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Caldwell | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 636 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 21 | 34 | 22,252 |
Caldwell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Caldwell's full recorded timeline at 1946, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1910, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 21 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Caldwell popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1906–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 21
- Annual births at peak, across 120 years of records
Caldwell by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (115 births, 18% of the file).
1920s was Caldwell's strongest decade.
115 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Caldwell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 13
1900s
13 births
- 1910s
1910s
113 births
- 1920s
1920s
115 births
- 1930s
1930s
73 births
- 1940s
1940s
89 births
- 1950s
1950s
47 births
- 1960s 12
1960s
12 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 10
1980s
10 births
- 1990s 18
1990s
18 births
- 2000s 23
2000s
23 births
- 2010s
2010s
55 births
- 2020s
2020s
62 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 115 births (18% of all-time use).
How Caldwell 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 Caldwell's total volume
Caldwell by state
Where Caldwell concentrates geographically, total births since 1906
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 26 | 4.1% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 11 | 1.7% |
26 of 636 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Caldwell? ▼
Where does Caldwell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Caldwell most popular? ▼
Where is Caldwell most popular? ▼
How long has the name Caldwell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Caldwell? ▼
What to do with Caldwell's data
- Caldwell's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (115 total births) through the 2020s (62) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Caldwells (26 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Caldwell
Nearby Names Like Caldwell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Caldwell
Compare Caldwell side by side: Caldwell vs Caleb Caldwell vs Calvin Caldwell vs Callum
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Caldwell
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Caldwell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~119 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, 1906–2025 (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 Caldwell 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.