Unisex name · since 1909

Del

4,298 babies named Del in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1958. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#1,971 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#8,272 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
4,298
born since 1909
1950s
peak decade

Yes -- Del is the #8272 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 4,298 recorded since 1909.

Social Security Administration records show Del recorded 4,298 times among boys since 1909, holding rank #8272 nationally today, ahead of 41% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.

  • #1,971 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #8,272 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 4,298 born since 1909
  • 1950s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Del ranks #1,971 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,272 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 4,298 born since 1909, peaking in the 1950s.

#1,971 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#8,272 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
4,298
born since 1909
1950s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%40.6%
Del vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Del's 4,298 recorded births place it above 95.66% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

22 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

22 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.

How Del compares

4,298 Top 14% higher than 86% of 13,930 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

Del's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Del Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 4,298 369 358,536
Peak-year births 143 34 22,252

Del's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Del's full recorded timeline at 1967, 30% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 70% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1909, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1958 peak of 143 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Del popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1958)
143
Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
050100150 190919241939195419691984199920142025 9

Del popularity over time - girls

672 total births recorded since 1915 (Del as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 672 births
010203040 191519261933194019471954196119691973 5

Del by decade

1950s is the heaviest window (1,095 births, 25% of the file).

1950s was Del's strongest decade.

1,095 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.

Del births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,095 births (25% of all-time use).

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

How Del 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 Del's total volume

Del vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8%10% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -42, 7.5%-39, 8.9%-57, 5.4%-123, 4.3%-146, 1.9%-75, 3.3%-126, 1.9%-146, 1.7%-114, 5%-146, 2.1%-142, 3.9%-117, 1.6%-59, 6.3%-146, 2.1%-115, 2.7%Del-117, 3.3%Del
Del vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Del by state

Where Del concentrates geographically, total births since 1909

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Del
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
442 10.3%
#2 Washington
127 3.0%
#3 Texas
106 2.5%
#4 Ohio
103 2.4%
#5 Illinois
99 2.3%
#6 Michigan
85 2.0%
#7 Pennsylvania
71 1.7%
#8 Florida
46 1.1%
California share of Del's total US births 10.3%
Even split

442 of 4,298 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.

Del appears in 22 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Del?
Since 1909, Social Security records show 4,298 babies named Del. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #1,971 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. In 2025, it holds #8,272 of 13,930 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1958, with 143 births.
Where does Del sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Del ranks #1,971 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,272 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Del most popular?
Del was most popular in the 1950s decade with 1,095 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Del most popular?
The top states for the name Del are California (442 births), Washington (127 births), Texas (106 births).
Is Del a unisex name?
Yes, Del is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 4,298 births, and as a girl's name it has 672 births.
How long has the name Del been used?
Records for Del go back to 1909, giving 117 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Del?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Delbert, Delmar, Delmer, Delano, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Del's data

  • Del's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,095 total births); usage has since declined to 71 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • California records the most Dels (442 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names

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

Keep exploring Del

Nearby Names Like Del

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

Names with a similar popularity rank to Del

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Del: 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, 1909–2025 (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 Del 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.