Total births
16,358
Boys' name · since 1978
Colten
Colten has 16,358 recorded births since 1978 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #901
- among boys today
- 16,358
- born since 1978
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Colten is the #901 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 16,358 recorded since 1978.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Colten has been recorded 16,358 times among boys since 1978, currently ranked #901 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1978 to 2025.
- #901 among boys today
- 16,358 born since 1978
- 2010s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Colten is currently the #901 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 16,358 born since 1978, peaking in the 2010s.
- #901
- among boys today
- 16,358
- born since 1978
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Colten vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#901
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Colten was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
757 babies were named Colten in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Colten compares
16,358 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
Colten's all-time total is 45x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Colten | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,358 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 757 | 23 | 22,252 |
Colten's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Colten's SSA record in two at 2003 and the more recent half accounts for 66% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 34%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1978, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2009 peak of 757, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Colten at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2009
Current rank
#901
Active since
1978
Colten popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1978–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 757
- Annual births at peak, across 48 years of records
Colten by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Colten's strongest decade.
5,528 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Colten births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s 558
1980s
558 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,736 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,934 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,528 births
- 2020s 1,597
2020s
1,597 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,528 births (34% of all-time use).
How Colten 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 Colten's total volume
Colten vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Colten by state
Where Colten concentrates geographically, total births since 1978
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,637 | 10.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 921 | 5.6% |
| #3 | Indiana | | 807 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 737 | 4.5% |
| #5 | California | | 654 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Florida | | 621 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 577 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 574 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Colten's total US births 10.0%
Even split
1,637 of 16,358 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Colten appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Colten? ▼
Colten has been given to 16,358 babies in the U.S. since 1978, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #901 as of the latest data. 757 babies were born in 2009, its single highest year.
When was Colten most popular? ▼
Colten was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,528 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Colten most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Colten are Texas (1,637 births), Ohio (921 births), Indiana (807 births).
How long has the name Colten been used? ▼
Colten has been recorded in Social Security data since 1978, spanning 48 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Colten? ▼
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 Colten's data
- Colten's decade-level peak was the 2010s (5,528 total births); usage has since declined to 1,597 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Coltens (1,637 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Colten
Nearby Names Like Colten
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Colten
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 Colten side by side: Colten vs Cole Colten vs Colton Colten vs Colin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Colten
Zechariah #900
11,351 births · Peak 2015
Kaisen #902
2,625 births · Peak 2025
Zev #899
5,153 births · Peak 2025
Salvatore #903
57,364 births · Peak 1927
Jrue #898
1,898 births · Peak 2025
Mitchell #904
164,063 births · Peak 1994
Gian #897
5,033 births · Peak 2023
Jericho #905
5,978 births · Peak 2025
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, 1978–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Colten: #901 Boys' Name - 16,358 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/colten. 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 Colten 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.