Girls' name · since 1918
California
264 babies named California in U.S. Social Security records since 1918, with the highest year being 2007. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #17,056 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 264
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
264 girls have been named California since 1918, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
California has 264 recorded births among girls since 1918, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2024.
- #17,056 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 264 born since 1918
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, California ranks #17,056 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 264 born since 1918, peaking in the 2010s.
- #17,056 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 264
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
California's 264 recorded births place it above 76.37% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
California's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
California splits its recorded history at 2011: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1919 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2007 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
California popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2024
- Peak year (2007)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
California by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (120 births, 45% of the file).
2010s was California's strongest decade.
120 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
California births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 11
1910s
11 births
- 1990s 12
1990s
12 births
- 2000s
2000s
86 births
- 2010s
2010s
120 births
- 2020s 35
2020s
35 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 120 births (45% of all-time use).
California by state
Where California concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 58 | 22.0% |
58 of 264 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name California? ▼
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What to do with California's data
- California's decade-level peak was the 2010s (120 total births); usage has since declined to 35 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Californias (58 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring California
Nearby Names Like California
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to California
Compare California side by side: California vs Callie California vs Cali California vs Calista
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for California: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2007)
Similar record span (~106 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, 1918–2024 (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 California 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.