Total births
1,608
Girls' name · since 1960
December
Since 1960, U.S. Social Security records show 1,608 babies named December, peaking in 2012. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5185
- among girls today
- 1,608
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
December currently ranks #5185 among girls' names in America, with 1,608 babies recorded since 1960.
Social Security Administration records show December recorded 1,608 times among girls since 1960, holding rank #5185 nationally today, ahead of 71% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1960 to 2025.
- #5185 among girls today
- 1,608 born since 1960
- 2010s peak decade
- 71% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
December is currently the #5185 girls' name in America, more common than 71% of girls - 1,608 born since 1960, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5185
- among girls today
- 1,608
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
December vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5185
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 71% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named December was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
46 babies were named December in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How December compares
1,608 Top 25% higher than 75% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
December's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | December | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,608 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 46 | 48 | 19,840 |
December's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting December's full recorded timeline at 1994, 66% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 34% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1960, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2012 peak of 46 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
December at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2012
Current rank
#5,185
Active since
1960
December popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1960–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 46
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
December popularity over time - boys
11 total births recorded since 2016 (December as boys' name)
December by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was December's strongest decade.
357 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
December births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 64
1960s
64 births
- 1970s
1970s
160 births
- 1980s
1980s
225 births
- 1990s
1990s
299 births
- 2000s
2000s
320 births
- 2010s
2010s
357 births
- 2020s
2020s
183 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 357 births (22% of all-time use).
How December compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to December's total volume
December vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
December by state
Where December concentrates geographically, total births since 1960
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 32 | 2.0% |
| #2 | California | | 22 | 1.4% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 16 | 1.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 12 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.3% |
Texas share of December's total US births 2.0%
Even split
32 of 1,608 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name December? ▼
1,608 babies have been named December since 1960. It currently ranks #5185 among girls. The peak year was 2012 with 46 births.
When was December most popular? ▼
December was most popular in the 2010s decade with 357 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is December most popular? ▼
The top states for the name December are Texas (32 births), California (22 births), Ohio (16 births).
How long has the name December been used? ▼
December has been recorded in Social Security data since 1960, spanning 66 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to December? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Declan, Declyn, Declynn, Decklyn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with December's data
- December's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (357 total births) through the 2020s (183) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Decembers (32 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 December
Nearby Names Like December
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to December
Declan Girl
#7838 403 births
Declyn Girl
#6111 307 births
Declynn Girl
#9462 211 births
Decklyn Girl
#16858 159 births
Decker Girl
#13159 126 births
Compare December side by side: December vs Declan December vs Declyn December vs Declynn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to December
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, 1960–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "December: #5185 Girls' Name - 1,608 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/december. 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 December 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.