Total births
9,685
Unisex name · since 1880
Chauncey
Chauncey has 9,685 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1981 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2916
- among boys today
- 9,685
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
9,685 babies have been named Chauncey since 1880, making it today's #2916 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Chauncey recorded 9,685 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #2916 nationally today, ahead of 80% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2916 among boys today
- 9,685 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 80% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Chauncey is currently the #2916 unisex name in America, more common than 80% of boys - 9,685 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #2916
- among boys today
- 9,685
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Chauncey vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2916
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 80% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Chauncey was born in this single decade.
1981
Single peak year
173 babies were named Chauncey in 1981 - its busiest year on record.
How Chauncey compares
9,685 Top 8% higher than 92% of 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
Chauncey's all-time total is 26x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chauncey | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,685 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 173 | 23 | 22,252 |
Chauncey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Chauncey splits its recorded history at 1953: 69% of all births land in the more recent half, 31% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1901 (12 births) -- compare that against the 1981 peak of 173 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Chauncey at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1981
Current rank
#2,916
Active since
1880
Chauncey popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1981)
- 173
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Chauncey popularity over time - girls
508 total births recorded since 1917 (Chauncey as girls' name)
Chauncey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Chauncey's strongest decade.
1,410 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Chauncey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 253
1880s
253 births
- 1890s 261
1890s
261 births
- 1900s 178
1900s
178 births
- 1910s 548
1910s
548 births
- 1920s
1920s
682 births
- 1930s 492
1930s
492 births
- 1940s 393
1940s
393 births
- 1950s
1950s
611 births
- 1960s
1960s
738 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,086 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,410 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,159 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,061 births
- 2010s
2010s
611 births
- 2020s 202
2020s
202 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,410 births (15% of all-time use).
How Chauncey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Chauncey's total volume
Chauncey vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Chauncey by state
Where Chauncey concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 612 | 6.3% |
| #2 | California | | 397 | 4.1% |
| #3 | Florida | | 394 | 4.1% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 304 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 284 | 2.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 281 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 278 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 219 | 2.3% |
New York share of Chauncey's total US births 6.3%
Even split
612 of 9,685 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Chauncey appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chauncey? ▼
Chauncey has been given to 9,685 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2916 as of the latest data. 173 babies were born in 1981, its single highest year.
When was Chauncey most popular? ▼
Chauncey was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,410 total births. The single peak year was 1981.
Where is Chauncey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chauncey are New York (612 births), California (397 births), Florida (394 births).
Is Chauncey a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Chauncey is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 9,685 births, and as a girl's name it has 508 births.
How long has the name Chauncey been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Chauncey since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Chauncey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Charles, Chad, Charlie, Chase, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Chauncey's data
- Chauncey's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,410 total births); usage has since declined to 202 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Chaunceys (612 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- 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 Chauncey
Nearby Names Like Chauncey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chauncey
Charles Boy
#51 2,434,659 births
Chad Boy
#1814 240,728 births
Charlie Boy
#176 184,280 births
Chase Boy
#173 181,160 births
Chance Boy
#418 54,622 births
Compare Chauncey side by side: Chauncey vs Charles Chauncey vs Chad Chauncey vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chauncey
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chauncey: #2916 Unisex Name - 9,685 Births, Peak 1981." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chauncey. 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 Chauncey 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 July 2026.