Total births
6,180
Boys' name · since 1909
Chet
Since 1909, U.S. Social Security records show 6,180 babies named Chet, peaking in 1963. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2104
- among boys today
- 6,180
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Chet is the #2104 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 6,180 recorded since 1909.
Chet has 6,180 recorded births among boys since 1909, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2104 as of the latest data, more common than 85% of boys, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #2104 among boys today
- 6,180 born since 1909
- 1960s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Chet is currently the #2104 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 6,180 born since 1909, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2104
- among boys today
- 6,180
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Chet vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2104
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Chet was born in this single decade.
1963
Single peak year
164 babies were named Chet in 1963 - its busiest year on record.
How Chet compares
6,180 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Chet's all-time total is 17x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chet | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,180 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 164 | 23 | 22,252 |
Chet's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Chet splits its recorded history at 1971: 62% of all births land in the more recent half, 38% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1910 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1963 peak of 164 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Chet at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1963
Current rank
#2,104
Active since
1909
Chet popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1963)
- 164
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Chet by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Chet's strongest decade.
1,232 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Chet births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 49
1910s
49 births
- 1920s 55
1920s
55 births
- 1930s 74
1930s
74 births
- 1940s 216
1940s
216 births
- 1950s
1950s
579 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,232 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,228 births
- 1980s
1980s
924 births
- 1990s
1990s
625 births
- 2000s 423
2000s
423 births
- 2010s 406
2010s
406 births
- 2020s 363
2020s
363 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,232 births (20% of all-time use).
How Chet 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 Chet's total volume
Chet vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Chet by state
Where Chet concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 394 | 6.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 255 | 4.1% |
| #3 | Utah | | 205 | 3.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 178 | 2.9% |
| #5 | New York | | 175 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 155 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 146 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 110 | 1.8% |
California share of Chet's total US births 6.4%
Even split
394 of 6,180 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Chet appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chet? ▼
6,180 babies have been named Chet since 1909. It currently ranks #2104 among boys. The peak year was 1963 with 164 births.
When was Chet most popular? ▼
Chet was most popular in the 1960s decade with 1,232 total births. The single peak year was 1963.
Where is Chet most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chet are California (394 births), Texas (255 births), Utah (205 births).
How long has the name Chet been used? ▼
Records for Chet go back to 1909, giving 117 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Chet? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Chester, Chevy, Cheyenne, Chesley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Chet's data
- Chet's decade-level peak was the 1960s (1,232 total births); usage has since declined to 363 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Chets (394 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Chet
Nearby Names Like Chet
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chet
Chester Boy
#1650 121,474 births
Chevy Boy
#1647 3,794 births
Cheyenne Boy
#10049 2,696 births
Chesley Boy
2,294 births
Che Boy
#5964 2,105 births
Compare Chet side by side: Chet vs Chester Chet vs Chevy Chet vs Cheyenne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chet
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, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chet: #2104 Boys' Name - 6,180 Births, Peak 1963." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chet. 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 Chet 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.