Total births
109
Boys' name · since 1982
Cem
Since 1982, U.S. Social Security records show 109 babies named Cem, peaking in 2005. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12792
- among boys today
- 109
- born since 1982
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cem is the #12792 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 109 recorded since 1982.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cem has been recorded 109 times among boys since 1982, currently ranked #12792 nationally and more common than 11% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1982 to 2024.
- #12792 among boys today
- 109 born since 1982
- 1990s peak decade
- 11% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cem is currently the #12792 boys' name in America, more common than 11% of boys - 109 born since 1982, peaking in the 1990s.
- #12792
- among boys today
- 109
- born since 1982
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Cem vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12792
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 11% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Cem was born in this single decade.
2005
Single peak year
10 babies were named Cem in 2005 - its busiest year on record.
How Cem compares
109 27th percentile among 14,294 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
Cem's all-time total is 70% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cem | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 109 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cem's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cem's full recorded timeline at 2000, 54% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 46% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1982, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2005 peak of 10 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cem at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2005
Current rank
#12,792
Active since
1982
Cem popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1982–2024
- Peak year (2005)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 43 years of records
Cem by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Cem's strongest decade.
40 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Cem births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 10
1980s
10 births
- 1990s
1990s
40 births
- 2000s
2000s
35 births
- 2010s
2010s
19 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 40 births (37% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cem? ▼
Since 1982, Social Security records show 109 babies named Cem. Today it holds rank #12792 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2005, with 10 births.
When was Cem most popular? ▼
Cem was most popular in the 1990s decade with 40 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
How long has the name Cem been used? ▼
Cem has been recorded in Social Security data since 1982, spanning 43 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Cem? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cemal. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cem's data
- Cem's decade-level peak was the 1990s (40 total births); usage has since declined to 5 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 Cem
Nearby Names Like Cem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cem
Compare Cem side by side: Cem vs Cemal
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cem
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, 1982–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cem: #12792 Boys' Name - 109 Births, Peak 2005." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cem. 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 Cem 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.