Boys' name · since 1913

Curly

Curly has 230 recorded births since 1913 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#12,136 of 45,481
all-time among boys
230
born since 1913
1940s
peak decade

230 boys have been named Curly since 1913, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Social Security Administration records show Curly recorded 230 times among boys since 1913, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 1977.

  • #12,136 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 230 born since 1913
  • 1940s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Curly ranks #12,136 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 230 born since 1913, peaking in the 1940s.

#12,136 of 45,481
all-time among boys
230
born since 1913
1940s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Curly's 230 recorded births place it above 73.28% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Curly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Curly splits its recorded history at 1942: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1914 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1957 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Curly popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–1977

Last recorded 1977
Peak year (1957)
11
Annual births at peak, across 65 years of records
4681012 19131919192819361945195319621977 6

Curly popularity over time - girls

6 total births recorded since 1923 (Curly as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 6 births
6 1923 6

Curly by decade

1940s is the heaviest window (47 births, 20% of the file).

1940s was Curly's strongest decade.

47 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.

Curly births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1940s at 47 births (20% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Curly? ▼
Curly has been given to 230 babies in the U.S. since 1913, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #12,136 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1977. 11 babies were born in 1957, its single highest year.
Where does Curly sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Curly ranks #12,136 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Curly most popular? ▼
Curly was most popular in the 1940s decade with 47 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
How long has the name Curly been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Curly since 1913 -- 65 years through the most recent 1977 data.
What names are similar to Curly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Curtis, Curt, Curtiss, Curley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Curly's data

  • Curly's decade-level peak was the 1940s (47 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

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

Keep exploring Curly

Nearby Names Like Curly

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

Curtis Boy
#984 260,554 births
Curt Boy
16,680 births
Curtiss Boy
5,074 births
Curley Boy
2,590 births
Curry Boy
#8937 1,570 births

Compare Curly side by side: Curly vs Curtis Curly vs Curt Curly vs Curtiss

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Alexandria
230 births · Peak 1989
Arby
230 births · Peak 1916
Nemiah
230 births · Peak 2010
Mayford
230 births · Peak 1921
Malin
230 births · Peak 2018
Helder
230 births · Peak 1977
Harsha
230 births · Peak 2008
Rishard
230 births · Peak 2004

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Curly: 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, 1913–1977 (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 Curly 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.