Boys' name · since 1981
Chou
Chou has 60 recorded births since 1981 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1989 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #20,853 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 60
- born since 1981
- 1980s
- peak decade
Chou sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 60 recorded since 1981.
Chou has 60 recorded births among boys since 1981, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 1996.
- #20,853 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 60 born since 1981
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chou ranks #20,853 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 60 born since 1981, peaking in the 1980s.
- #20,853 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 60
- born since 1981
- 1980s
- peak decade
Chou's 60 recorded births place it above 53.94% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Chou's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Chou's SSA record in two at 1990 and the more recent half accounts for 48% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 52%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1983, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1989 peak of 9, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Chou popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–1996
- Peak year (1989)
- 9
- Annual births at peak, across 16 years of records
Chou by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (31 births, 52% of the file).
1980s was Chou's strongest decade.
31 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Chou births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
31 births
- 1990s
1990s
29 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 31 births (52% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Chou's data
- Chou's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (31 total births) through the 1990s (29) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chou
Nearby Names Like Chou
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chou
Compare Chou side by side: Chou vs Chosen Chou vs Chozen Chou vs Chozyn
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Chou: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1989)
Similar record span (~15 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, 1981–1996 (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 Chou 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.