Girls' name · since 1980
Cate
Since 1980, U.S. Social Security records show 1,789 babies named Cate, peaking in 2008. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,085 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #9,038 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,789
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
1,789 babies have been named Cate since 1980, making it today's #9038 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cate has been recorded 1,789 times among girls since 1980, currently ranked #9038 nationally and more common than 48% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1980 to 2025.
- #5,085 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #9,038 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,789 born since 1980
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cate ranks #5,085 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #9,038 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,789 born since 1980, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5,085 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #9,038 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,789
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
Cate's 1,789 recorded births place it above 92.96% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
22 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Cate compares
1,789 Top 24% higher than 76% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Cate's all-time total is 5x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cate | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,789 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 152 | 21 | 19,840 |
Cate's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cate's SSA record in two at 2005 and the more recent half accounts for 73% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 27%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1980, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2008 peak of 152, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cate popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 152
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Cate by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (932 births, 52% of the file).
2000s was Cate's strongest decade.
932 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Cate births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 52
1980s
52 births
- 1990s 87
1990s
87 births
- 2000s
2000s
932 births
- 2010s
2010s
598 births
- 2020s 120
2020s
120 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 932 births (52% of all-time use).
How Cate compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cate's total volume
Cate by state
Where Cate concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 180 | 10.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 156 | 8.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 77 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 45 | 2.5% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 26 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 17 | 1.0% |
| #7 | Florida | | 16 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 12 | 0.7% |
180 of 1,789 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Cate appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cate? ▼
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When was Cate most popular? ▼
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What to do with Cate's data
- Cate's decade-level peak was the 2000s (932 total births); usage has since declined to 120 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cates (180 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 Cate
Nearby Names Like Cate
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cate
Compare Cate side by side: Cate vs Catherine Cate vs Cathy Cate vs Catalina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cate
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cate: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2008)
Similar record span (~45 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, 1980–2025 (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 Cate 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.