Total births
10,899
Boys' name · since 1882
Cortez
Cortez has 10,899 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1998
- among boys today
- 10,899
- born since 1882
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cortez is the #1998 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 10,899 recorded since 1882.
Cortez has 10,899 recorded births among boys since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1998 as of the latest data, more common than 86% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1998 among boys today
- 10,899 born since 1882
- 1990s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cortez is currently the #1998 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 10,899 born since 1882, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1998
- among boys today
- 10,899
- born since 1882
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Cortez vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1998
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Cortez was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
346 babies were named Cortez in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Cortez compares
10,899 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Cortez's all-time total is 30x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cortez | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,899 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 346 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cortez's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cortez's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 91% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 9%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 346, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cortez at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#1,998
Active since
1882
Cortez popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 346
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Cortez popularity over time - girls
89 total births recorded since 1912 (Cortez as girls' name)
Cortez by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Cortez's strongest decade.
2,669 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Cortez births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 100
1910s
100 births
- 1920s 118
1920s
118 births
- 1930s 129
1930s
129 births
- 1940s 117
1940s
117 births
- 1950s 228
1950s
228 births
- 1960s 378
1960s
378 births
- 1970s 814
1970s
814 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,814 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,669 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,033 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,854 births
- 2020s 635
2020s
635 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 2,669 births (24% of all-time use).
How Cortez 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 Cortez's total volume
Cortez vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cortez by state
Where Cortez concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 1,378 | 12.6% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 951 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Missouri | | 745 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 606 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 586 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 483 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 458 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 380 | 3.5% |
Illinois share of Cortez's total US births 12.6%
Even split
1,378 of 10,899 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 30 reporting states.
Cortez appears in 30 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cortez? ▼
Cortez has been given to 10,899 babies in the U.S. since 1882, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1998 as of the latest data. 346 babies were born in 1990, its single highest year.
When was Cortez most popular? ▼
Cortez was most popular in the 1990s decade with 2,669 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Cortez most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cortez are Illinois (1,378 births), Michigan (951 births), Missouri (745 births).
How long has the name Cortez been used? ▼
Cortez has been recorded in Social Security data since 1882, spanning 144 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cortez? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Corey, Cory, Corbin, Cornelius, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cortez's data
- Cortez's decade-level peak was the 1990s (2,669 total births); usage has since declined to 635 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Cortezs (1,378 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Cortez
Nearby Names Like Cortez
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cortez
Corey Boy
#677 185,020 births
Cory Boy
#1096 127,179 births
Corbin Boy
#474 41,112 births
Cornelius Boy
#2157 36,407 births
Cornell Boy
#4438 11,347 births
Compare Cortez side by side: Cortez vs Corey Cortez vs Cory Cortez vs Corbin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cortez
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cortez: #1998 Boys' Name - 10,899 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cortez. 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 Cortez 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.