Boys' name · since 1883
Captain
Since 1883, U.S. Social Security records show 466 babies named Captain, peaking in 2018. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8,220 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,215 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 466
- born since 1883
- 2010s
- peak decade
Captain currently ranks #5215 among boys' names in America, with 466 babies recorded since 1883.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Captain has been recorded 466 times among boys since 1883, currently ranked #5215 nationally and more common than 63% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2025.
- #8,220 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,215 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 466 born since 1883
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Captain ranks #8,220 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,215 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 466 born since 1883, peaking in the 2010s.
- #8,220 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,215 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 466
- born since 1883
- 2010s
- peak decade
Captain's 466 recorded births place it above 81.9% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Captain compares
466 Top 46% higher than 54% 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
Captain's all-time total is 26% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Captain | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 466 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 33 | 34 | 22,252 |
Captain's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Captain splits its recorded history at 2008: 79% of all births land in the more recent half, 21% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 33 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Captain popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 33
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Captain by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (236 births, 51% of the file).
2010s was Captain's strongest decade.
236 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 51% of all-time use.
Captain births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 13
1880s
13 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 24
1910s
24 births
- 1920s 18
1920s
18 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 2000s 35
2000s
35 births
- 2010s
2010s
236 births
- 2020s
2020s
114 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 236 births (51% of all-time use).
Captain by state
Where Captain concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19 | 4.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 6 | 1.3% |
19 of 466 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Captain's data
- Captain's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (236 total births) through the 2020s (114) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Captains (19 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 Captain
Nearby Names Like Captain
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Captain
Compare Captain side by side: Captain vs Capone Captain vs Caprice Captain vs Capri
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Captain
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Captain: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2018)
Similar record span (~142 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, 1883–2025 (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 Captain 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.