Total births
348
Boys' name · since 1919
Chief
Since 1919, U.S. Social Security records show 348 babies named Chief, peaking in 2020. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4094
- among boys today
- 348
- born since 1919
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Chief currently ranks #4094 among boys' names in America, with 348 babies recorded since 1919.
Chief has 348 recorded births among boys since 1919, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4094 as of the latest data, more common than 71% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2025.
- #4094 among boys today
- 348 born since 1919
- 2020s peak decade
- 71% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Chief is currently the #4094 boys' name in America, more common than 71% of boys - 348 born since 1919, peaking in the 2020s.
- #4094
- among boys today
- 348
- born since 1919
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Chief vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4094
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 71% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Chief was born in this single decade.
2020
Single peak year
34 babies were named Chief in 2020 - its busiest year on record.
How Chief compares
348 49th 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
Chief's all-time total is 5% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chief | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 348 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 34 | 23 | 22,252 |
Chief's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Chief splits its recorded history at 2015: 76% of all births land in the more recent half, 24% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1919 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2020 peak of 34 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Chief at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2020
Current rank
#4,094
Active since
1919
Chief popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2025
- Peak year (2020)
- 34
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Chief by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Chief's strongest decade.
164 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Chief births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 2000s 31
2000s
31 births
- 2010s
2010s
148 births
- 2020s
2020s
164 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 164 births (47% of all-time use).
Chief by state
Where Chief concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6 | 1.7% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 5 | 1.4% |
California share of Chief's total US births 1.7%
Even split
6 of 348 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chief? ▼
Chief has been given to 348 babies in the U.S. since 1919, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4094 as of the latest data. 34 babies were born in 2020, its single highest year.
When was Chief most popular? ▼
Chief was most popular in the 2020s decade with 164 total births. The single peak year was 2020.
Where is Chief most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chief are California (6 births), Georgia (5 births).
How long has the name Chief been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Chief since 1919 -- 107 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Chief? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Chip, Chistopher, Chirstopher, Chico, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Chief's data
- California records the most Chiefs (6 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 Chief
Nearby Names Like Chief
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chief
Chip Boy
#3294 3,493 births
Chistopher Boy
1,446 births
Chirstopher Boy
1,051 births
Chico Boy
951 births
Chirag Boy
667 births
Compare Chief side by side: Chief vs Chip Chief vs Chistopher Chief vs Chirstopher
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chief
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, 1919–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chief: #4094 Boys' Name - 348 Births, Peak 2020." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chief. 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 Chief 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.