Girls' name · since 1978
Caress
Since 1978, U.S. Social Security records show 209 babies named Caress, peaking in 1986. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #19,352 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 209
- born since 1978
- 1980s
- peak decade
Caress sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 209 recorded since 1978.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Caress has been recorded 209 times among girls since 1978, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1978 to 2000.
- #19,352 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 209 born since 1978
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Caress ranks #19,352 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 209 born since 1978, peaking in the 1980s.
- #19,352 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 209
- born since 1978
- 1980s
- peak decade
Caress's 209 recorded births place it above 73.19% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by Illinois.
Caress's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Caress's full recorded timeline at 1991, 21% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 79% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1978, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1986 peak of 69 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Caress popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1978–2000
- Peak year (1986)
- 69
- Annual births at peak, across 23 years of records
Caress by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (149 births, 71% of the file).
1980s was Caress's strongest decade.
149 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 71% of all-time use.
Caress births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s
1980s
149 births
- 1990s 50
1990s
50 births
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 149 births (71% of all-time use).
Caress by state
Where Caress concentrates geographically, total births since 1978
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 13 | 6.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 7 | 3.3% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 6 | 2.9% |
13 of 209 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Caress's data
- Caress's decade-level peak was the 1980s (149 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Caresss (13 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Caress
Nearby Names Like Caress
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Caress
Compare Caress side by side: Caress vs Carol Caress vs Carolyn Caress vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Caress: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1986)
Similar record span (~22 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, 1978–2000 (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 Caress 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.