Girls' name · since 1945
Char
Char has 488 recorded births since 1945 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12,024 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 488
- born since 1945
- 1970s
- peak decade
Char is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 488 have been recorded since 1945.
Social Security Administration records show Char recorded 488 times among girls since 1945, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1945 to 1997.
- #12,024 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 488 born since 1945
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Char ranks #12,024 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 488 born since 1945, peaking in the 1970s.
- #12,024 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 488
- born since 1945
- 1970s
- peak decade
Char's 488 recorded births place it above 83.35% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Char's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Char splits its recorded history at 1969: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1945 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 26 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Char popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1945–1997
- Peak year (1960)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Char by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (138 births, 28% of the file).
1970s was Char's strongest decade.
138 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Char births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 30
1940s
30 births
- 1950s
1950s
102 births
- 1960s
1960s
126 births
- 1970s
1970s
138 births
- 1980s
1980s
61 births
- 1990s 31
1990s
31 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 138 births (28% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Char's data
- Char's decade-level peak was the 1970s (138 total births); usage has since declined to 31 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Char
Nearby Names Like Char
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Char
Compare Char side by side: Char vs Charlotte Char vs Charlene Char vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Char: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1960)
Similar record span (~52 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, 1945–1997 (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 Char 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.