Total births
54
Boys' name · since 1916
Decatur
Decatur has 54 recorded births since 1916 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1945 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 54
- total births
- 1916–2017
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
Decatur is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 54 have been recorded since 1916.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Decatur has been recorded 54 times among boys since 1916, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2017.
- 54 total births
- 1916–2017 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 28% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
54 boys have been named Decatur since 1916, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2017.
- 54
- total births
- 1916–2017
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Decatur was born in this single decade.
1945
Single peak year
7 babies were named Decatur in 1945 - its busiest year on record.
Decatur's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Decatur's full recorded timeline at 1933, 54% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 46% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1916, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1945 peak of 7 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Decatur at a glance
Last recorded 2017Peak year
1945
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1916
Decatur popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2017
- Peak year (1945)
- 7
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Decatur by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Decatur's strongest decade.
15 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Decatur births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s
1920s
15 births
- 1930s
1930s
10 births
- 1940s
1940s
7 births
- 2000s
2000s
12 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 15 births (28% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Decatur? ▼
Since 1916, Social Security records show 54 babies named Decatur. The most recent recorded year was 2017. Its busiest year on record was 1945, with 7 births.
When was Decatur most popular? ▼
Decatur was most popular in the 1920s decade with 15 total births. The single peak year was 1945.
How long has the name Decatur been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Decatur since 1916 -- 102 years through the most recent 2017 data.
What names are similar to Decatur? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Declan, Decker, Decarlos, Decarlo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Decatur's data
- Decatur's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (15 total births) through the 2010s (5) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Decatur
Nearby Names Like Decatur
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Decatur
Declan Boy
#132 58,547 births
Decker Boy
#1188 2,842 births
Decarlos Boy
#12619 1,215 births
Decarlo Boy
635 births
Decklan Boy
#5383 600 births
Compare Decatur side by side: Decatur vs Declan Decatur vs Decker Decatur vs Decarlos
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, 1916–2017 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Decatur: Baby Name Since 1916 - 54 Births, Peak 1945." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/decatur. 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 Decatur 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.