Total births
422
Unisex name · since 1918
Cantrell
Since 1918, U.S. Social Security records show 422 babies named Cantrell, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 422
- total births
- 1918–2021
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 26%
- born in that decade
422 boys have been named Cantrell since 1918, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Cantrell has 422 recorded births among boys since 1918, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2021.
- 422 total births
- 1918–2021 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 26% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
422 boys have been named Cantrell since 1918, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2021.
- 422
- total births
- 1918–2021
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 26%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Cantrell was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
18 babies were named Cantrell in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
Cantrell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cantrell's full recorded timeline at 1993, 50% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 50% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1973, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1979 peak of 18 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cantrell at a glance
Last recorded 2021Peak year
1979
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1918
Cantrell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2021
- Peak year (1979)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 104 years of records
Cantrell popularity over time - girls
65 total births recorded since 1969 (Cantrell as girls' name)
Cantrell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Cantrell's strongest decade.
108 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Cantrell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 7
1910s
7 births
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1960s 7
1960s
7 births
- 1970s
1970s
76 births
- 1980s
1980s
79 births
- 1990s
1990s
108 births
- 2000s
2000s
95 births
- 2010s 33
2010s
33 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 108 births (26% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cantrell? ▼
Since 1918, Social Security records show 422 babies named Cantrell. The most recent recorded year was 2021. Its busiest year on record was 1979, with 18 births.
When was Cantrell most popular? ▼
Cantrell was most popular in the 1990s decade with 108 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Is Cantrell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cantrell is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 422 births, and as a girl's name it has 65 births.
How long has the name Cantrell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cantrell since 1918 -- 104 years through the most recent 2021 data.
What names are similar to Cantrell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cannon, Canaan, Canyon, Canon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cantrell's data
- Cantrell's decade-level peak was the 1990s (108 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Cantrell
Nearby Names Like Cantrell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cantrell
Cannon Boy
#763 10,978 births
Canaan Boy
#1084 5,843 births
Canyon Boy
#1427 3,827 births
Canon Boy
#1927 2,751 births
Candelario Boy
2,319 births
Compare Cantrell side by side: Cantrell vs Cannon Cantrell vs Canaan Cantrell vs Canyon
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1918–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cantrell: Baby Name Since 1918 - 422 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cantrell. 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 Cantrell 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.