Total births
10,955
Boys' name · since 1918
Dirk
Since 1918, U.S. Social Security records show 10,955 babies named Dirk, peaking in 1954. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6877
- among boys today
- 10,955
- born since 1918
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Dirk is the #6877 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 10,955 recorded since 1918.
Dirk has 10,955 recorded births among boys since 1918, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6877 as of the latest data, more common than 52% of boys, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2025.
- #6877 among boys today
- 10,955 born since 1918
- 1960s peak decade
- 52% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dirk is currently the #6877 boys' name in America, more common than 52% of boys - 10,955 born since 1918, peaking in the 1960s.
- #6877
- among boys today
- 10,955
- born since 1918
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
Dirk vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6877
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 52% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Dirk was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
438 babies were named Dirk in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
How Dirk compares
10,955 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Dirk's all-time total is 30x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dirk | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,955 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 438 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dirk's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Dirk's full recorded timeline at 1973, 32% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 68% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1923, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1954 peak of 438 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Dirk at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1954
Current rank
#6,877
Active since
1918
Dirk popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2025
- Peak year (1954)
- 438
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Dirk by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Dirk's strongest decade.
3,310 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Dirk births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 71
1920s
71 births
- 1930s 188
1930s
188 births
- 1940s 369
1940s
369 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,688 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,310 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,796 births
- 1980s 1,156
1980s
1,156 births
- 1990s 581
1990s
581 births
- 2000s 395
2000s
395 births
- 2010s 279
2010s
279 births
- 2020s 116
2020s
116 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 3,310 births (30% of all-time use).
How Dirk 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 Dirk's total volume
Dirk vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dirk by state
Where Dirk concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,173 | 10.7% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 711 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 565 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 530 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Texas | | 420 | 3.8% |
| #6 | New York | | 373 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 371 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 333 | 3.0% |
California share of Dirk's total US births 10.7%
Even split
1,173 of 10,955 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Dirk appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dirk? ▼
Since 1918, Social Security records show 10,955 babies named Dirk. Today it holds rank #6877 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1954, with 438 births.
When was Dirk most popular? ▼
Dirk was most popular in the 1960s decade with 3,310 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Dirk most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dirk are California (1,173 births), Illinois (711 births), Ohio (565 births).
How long has the name Dirk been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Dirk since 1918 -- 108 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Dirk? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Diron, Dirck, Dirrick, Dirl, and 1 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dirk's data
- Dirk's decade-level peak was the 1960s (3,310 total births); usage has since declined to 116 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Dirks (1,173 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 Dirk
Nearby Names Like Dirk
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dirk
Diron Boy
174 births
Dirck Boy
102 births
Dirrick Boy
40 births
Dirl Boy
12 births
Diran Boy
5 births
Compare Dirk side by side: Dirk vs Diron Dirk vs Dirck Dirk vs Dirrick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dirk
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, 1918–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dirk: #6877 Boys' Name - 10,955 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dirk. 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 Dirk 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.