Total births
1,250
Boys' name · since 1880
Colonel
Colonel has 1,250 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 1,250
- total births
- 1880–1987
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1,250 boys have been named Colonel since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Colonel has 1,250 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1987.
- 1,250 total births
- 1880–1987 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,250 boys have been named Colonel since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1987.
- 1,250
- total births
- 1880–1987
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Colonel was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
37 babies were named Colonel in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
Colonel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Colonel's full recorded timeline at 1929, 45% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 55% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1907, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 37 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Colonel at a glance
Last recorded 1987Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Colonel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1987
- Peak year (1920)
- 37
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Colonel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Colonel's strongest decade.
274 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Colonel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 105
1880s
105 births
- 1890s 81
1890s
81 births
- 1900s 42
1900s
42 births
- 1910s
1910s
212 births
- 1920s
1920s
274 births
- 1930s
1930s
164 births
- 1940s
1940s
158 births
- 1950s
1950s
110 births
- 1960s 65
1960s
65 births
- 1970s 21
1970s
21 births
- 1980s 18
1980s
18 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 274 births (22% of all-time use).
How Colonel 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 Colonel's total volume
Colonel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Colonel by state
Where Colonel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 48 | 3.8% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 17 | 1.4% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 5 | 0.4% |
North Carolina share of Colonel's total US births 3.8%
Even split
48 of 1,250 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Colonel? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,250 babies named Colonel. The most recent recorded year was 1987. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 37 births.
When was Colonel most popular? ▼
Colonel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 274 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Colonel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Colonel are North Carolina (48 births), Alabama (17 births), Kentucky (6 births).
How long has the name Colonel been used? ▼
Records for Colonel go back to 1880, giving 108 years of history through 1987.
What names are similar to Colonel? ▼
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 Colonel's data
- Colonel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (274 total births); usage has since declined to 18 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Colonels (48 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Colonel
Nearby Names Like Colonel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Colonel
Cole Boy
#163 154,093 births
Colton Boy
#98 151,965 births
Colin Boy
#335 133,706 births
Collin Boy
#490 81,437 births
Colby Boy
#583 53,971 births
Compare Colonel side by side: Colonel vs Cole Colonel vs Colton Colonel vs Colin
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1880–1987 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Colonel: Baby Name Since 1880 - 1,250 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/colonel. 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 Colonel 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 July 2026.