Unisex name · since 1881

Coley

Coley has 2,029 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1993 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#3,273 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#8,921 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
2,029
born since 1881
1970s
peak decade

Yes -- Coley is the #8921 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 2,029 recorded since 1881.

Social Security Administration records show Coley recorded 2,029 times among boys since 1881, holding rank #8921 nationally today, ahead of 36% of boys, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.

  • #3,273 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #8,921 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 2,029 born since 1881
  • 1970s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Coley ranks #3,273 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,921 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,029 born since 1881, peaking in the 1970s.

#3,273 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#8,921 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
2,029
born since 1881
1970s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%35.9%
Coley vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Coley's 2,029 recorded births place it above 92.8% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

6 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by South Carolina.

How Coley compares

2,029 Top 22% higher than 78% of 13,930 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

Coley's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Coley Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 2,029 369 358,536
Peak-year births 37 34 22,252

Coley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Coley's full recorded timeline at 1960, 55% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 45% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1993 peak of 37 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Coley popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1993)
37
Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
010203040 188119121929194619631980199720142025 8

Coley popularity over time - girls

348 total births recorded since 1976 (Coley as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 348 births
0510152025 19761985199720042010201520202025 7

Coley by decade

1970s is the heaviest window (233 births, 11% of the file).

1970s was Coley's strongest decade.

233 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 11% of all-time use.

Coley births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1970s at 233 births (11% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Coley 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 Coley's total volume

Coley vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8%10%12% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -35, 6.2%-43, 9.4%-52, 7.2%-75, 4.1%-48, 5%-108, 2.2%-48, 7.6%-113, 2.7%-84, 2.5%-115, 2.2%-34, 5.5%-143, 2%-21, 10.7%-43, 6.2%-144, 2.7%Coley-145, 1.8%Coley
Coley vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Coley by state

Where Coley concentrates geographically, total births since 1881

Geographically diffuse
Top 6 states by recorded births for the name Coley
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 South Carolina
103 5.1%
#2 North Carolina
56 2.8%
#3 Georgia
52 2.6%
#4 Alabama
36 1.8%
#5 Texas
6 0.3%
#6 Mississippi
5 0.2%
South Carolina share of Coley's total US births 5.1%
Even split

103 of 2,029 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Coley? ▼
2,029 babies have been named Coley since 1881. All-time, it sits at #3,273 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. In 2025, it ranks #8,921 of 13,930 among boys. The peak year was 1993 with 37 births.
Where does Coley sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Coley ranks #3,273 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,921 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Coley most popular? ▼
Coley was most popular in the 1970s decade with 233 total births. The single peak year was 1993.
Where is Coley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Coley are South Carolina (103 births), North Carolina (56 births), Georgia (52 births).
Is Coley a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Coley is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 2,029 births, and as a girl's name it has 348 births.
How long has the name Coley been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Coley since 1881 -- 145 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Coley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cole, Colton, Colin, Collin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Coley's data

  • Coley's decade-level peak was the 1970s (233 total births); usage has since declined to 44 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • South Carolina records the most Coleys (103 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. South Carolina names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Coley

Nearby Names Like Coley

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Coley

Cole Boy
#182 154,093 births
Colton Boy
#103 151,965 births
Colin Boy
#343 133,706 births
Collin Boy
#493 81,437 births
Colby Boy
#615 53,971 births

Compare Coley side by side: Coley vs Cole Coley vs Colton Coley vs Colin

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar popularity rank to Coley

Roe #8920
909 births · Peak 1916
Lucy #8922
644 births · Peak 1924
Ennis #8919
3,204 births · Peak 1922
Lennie #8923
2,890 births · Peak 1957
Barton #8918
9,371 births · Peak 1960
Ellery #8924
2,261 births · Peak 1959
Thad #8917
8,219 births · Peak 1967
Lorenz #8925
1,754 births · Peak 1918

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Coley: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1881–2025 (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 Coley 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.