Total births
21,945
Boys' name · since 1880
Cleveland
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 21,945 babies named Cleveland, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6471
- among boys today
- 21,945
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cleveland is the #6471 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 21,945 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Cleveland recorded 21,945 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #6471 nationally today, ahead of 55% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #6471 among boys today
- 21,945 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 55% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cleveland is currently the #6471 boys' name in America, more common than 55% of boys - 21,945 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6471
- among boys today
- 21,945
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other boys
Cleveland vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6471
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 55% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Cleveland was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
360 babies were named Cleveland in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Cleveland compares
21,945 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Cleveland's all-time total is 60x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cleveland | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,945 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 360 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cleveland's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cleveland splits its recorded history at 1953: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1880 (11 births) -- compare that against the 1947 peak of 360 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cleveland at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1947
Current rank
#6,471
Active since
1880
Cleveland popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 360
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Cleveland popularity over time - girls
87 total births recorded since 1922 (Cleveland as girls' name)
Cleveland by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Cleveland's strongest decade.
3,183 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Cleveland births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 702
1880s
702 births
- 1890s 524
1890s
524 births
- 1900s 553
1900s
553 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,219 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,183 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,480 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,970 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,069 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,055 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,498 births
- 1980s 1,107
1980s
1,107 births
- 1990s 743
1990s
743 births
- 2000s 474
2000s
474 births
- 2010s 280
2010s
280 births
- 2020s 88
2020s
88 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,183 births (15% of all-time use).
How Cleveland 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 Cleveland's total volume
Cleveland vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cleveland by state
Where Cleveland concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louisiana | | 1,990 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 1,972 | 9.0% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 1,661 | 7.6% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 1,655 | 7.5% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 1,636 | 7.5% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 1,606 | 7.3% |
| #7 | Florida | | 1,166 | 5.3% |
| #8 | Texas | | 1,032 | 4.7% |
Louisiana share of Cleveland's total US births 9.1%
Even split
1,990 of 21,945 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Cleveland appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cleveland? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 21,945 babies named Cleveland. Today it holds rank #6471 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 360 births.
When was Cleveland most popular? ▼
Cleveland was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,183 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Cleveland most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cleveland are Louisiana (1,990 births), Georgia (1,972 births), North Carolina (1,661 births).
How long has the name Cleveland been used? ▼
Cleveland has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cleveland? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Clement, Cleo, Cletus, Cleve, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cleveland's data
- Cleveland's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,183 total births); usage has since declined to 88 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Louisiana records the most Clevelands (1,990 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana 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 Cleveland
Nearby Names Like Cleveland
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cleveland
Clement Boy
#2211 14,167 births
Cleo Boy
#4710 11,527 births
Cletus Boy
#10969 7,437 births
Cleve Boy
4,506 births
Clem Boy
4,275 births
Compare Cleveland side by side: Cleveland vs Clement Cleveland vs Cleo Cleveland vs Cletus
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cleveland
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, 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. "Cleveland: #6471 Boys' Name - 21,945 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cleveland. 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 Cleveland 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.