Total births
299,616
Boys' name · since 1881
Craig
Craig has 299,616 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1837
- among boys today
- 299,616
- born since 1881
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
299,616 babies have been named Craig since 1881, making it today's #1837 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Craig recorded 299,616 times among boys since 1881, holding rank #1837 nationally today, ahead of 87% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #1837 among boys today
- 299,616 born since 1881
- 1960s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Craig is currently the #1837 boys' name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 299,616 born since 1881, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1837
- among boys today
- 299,616
- born since 1881
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Craig vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1837
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Craig was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
10,724 babies were named Craig in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Craig compares
299,616 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Craig's all-time total is 816x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Craig | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 299,616 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10,724 | 23 | 22,252 |
Craig's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Craig splits its recorded history at 1959: 72% of all births land in the more recent half, 28% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 10,724 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Craig at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#1,837
Active since
1881
Craig popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 10,724
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Craig popularity over time - girls
1,012 total births recorded since 1918 (Craig as girls' name)
Craig by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Craig's strongest decade.
84,712 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Craig births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 17
1880s
17 births
- 1890s 30
1890s
30 births
- 1900s 78
1900s
78 births
- 1910s 454
1910s
454 births
- 1920s 907
1920s
907 births
- 1930s 1,946
1930s
1,946 births
- 1940s 20,289
1940s
20,289 births
- 1950s
1950s
69,481 births
- 1960s
1960s
84,712 births
- 1970s
1970s
58,787 births
- 1980s
1980s
38,095 births
- 1990s 16,105
1990s
16,105 births
- 2000s 5,543
2000s
5,543 births
- 2010s 2,472
2010s
2,472 births
- 2020s 700
2020s
700 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 84,712 births (28% of all-time use).
How Craig 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 Craig's total volume
Craig vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Craig by state
Where Craig concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 30,273 | 10.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 24,546 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 18,510 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 18,251 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 17,741 | 5.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 16,915 | 5.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 12,210 | 4.1% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 10,248 | 3.4% |
California share of Craig's total US births 10.1%
Even split
30,273 of 299,616 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Craig appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Craig? ▼
Craig has been given to 299,616 babies in the U.S. since 1881, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1837 as of the latest data. 10,724 babies were born in 1960, its single highest year.
When was Craig most popular? ▼
Craig was most popular in the 1960s decade with 84,712 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Craig most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Craig are California (30,273 births), New York (24,546 births), Pennsylvania (18,510 births).
How long has the name Craig been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Craig since 1881 -- 145 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Craig? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Crawford, Crayton, Craven, Craige, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Craig's data
- Craig's decade-level peak was the 1960s (84,712 total births); usage has since declined to 700 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Craigs (30,273 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Craig
Nearby Names Like Craig
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Craig
Crawford Boy
#2559 4,710 births
Crayton Boy
#9977 674 births
Craven Boy
371 births
Craige Boy
371 births
Cranston Boy
364 births
Compare Craig side by side: Craig vs Crawford Craig vs Crayton Craig vs Craven
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Craig
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Craig: #1837 Boys' Name - 299,616 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/craig. 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 Craig 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.