Total births
78,592
Unisex name · since 1880
Drew
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 78,592 babies named Drew, peaking in 1985. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #542
- among boys today
- 78,592
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
78,592 babies have been named Drew since 1880, making it today's #542 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Drew recorded 78,592 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #542 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #542 among boys today
- 78,592 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Drew is currently the #542 unisex name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 78,592 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #542
- among boys today
- 78,592
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Drew vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#542
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Drew was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
2,276 babies were named Drew in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
How Drew compares
78,592 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Drew's all-time total is 214x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Drew | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 78,592 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,276 | 23 | 22,252 |
Drew's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Drew's full recorded timeline at 1957, 95% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 5% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1889, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 2,276 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Drew at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1985
Current rank
#542
Active since
1880
Drew popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1985)
- 2,276
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Drew popularity over time - girls
9,493 total births recorded since 1918 (Drew as girls' name)
Drew by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Drew's strongest decade.
19,334 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Drew births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 71
1880s
71 births
- 1890s 38
1890s
38 births
- 1900s 41
1900s
41 births
- 1910s 198
1910s
198 births
- 1920s 241
1920s
241 births
- 1930s 303
1930s
303 births
- 1940s 1,224
1940s
1,224 births
- 1950s 3,280
1950s
3,280 births
- 1960s 4,386
1960s
4,386 births
- 1970s 4,168
1970s
4,168 births
- 1980s
1980s
15,592 births
- 1990s
1990s
19,334 births
- 2000s
2000s
16,710 births
- 2010s
2010s
9,680 births
- 2020s 3,326
2020s
3,326 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 19,334 births (25% of all-time use).
How Drew 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 Drew's total volume
Drew vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Drew by state
Where Drew concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,428 | 8.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 4,681 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 4,420 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Texas | | 4,293 | 5.5% |
| #5 | New York | | 4,061 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 3,901 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 3,787 | 4.8% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 2,834 | 3.6% |
California share of Drew's total US births 8.2%
Even split
6,428 of 78,592 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Drew appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Drew? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 78,592 babies named Drew. Today it holds rank #542 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1985, with 2,276 births.
When was Drew most popular? ▼
Drew was most popular in the 1990s decade with 19,334 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Drew most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Drew are California (6,428 births), Pennsylvania (4,681 births), Ohio (4,420 births).
Is Drew a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Drew is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 78,592 births, and as a girl's name it has 9,493 births.
How long has the name Drew been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Drew since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Drew? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Drexel, Dresden, Dre, Drevon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Drew's data
- Drew's decade-level peak was the 1990s (19,334 total births); usage has since declined to 3,326 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Drews (6,428 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 Drew
Nearby Names Like Drew
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Drew
Drexel Boy
#6854 1,404 births
Dresden Boy
#4646 972 births
Dre Boy
#4261 856 births
Drevon Boy
#5541 761 births
Dreshawn Boy
#12907 736 births
Compare Drew side by side: Drew vs Drexel Drew vs Dresden Drew vs Dre
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Drew
Roy #541
408,638 births · Peak 1947
Leland #543
57,999 births · Peak 2007
Dorian #540
24,187 births · Peak 2008
Clay #544
40,252 births · Peak 1960
Gregory #539
711,893 births · Peak 1962
Enrique #545
61,234 births · Peak 2000
Pierce #538
20,245 births · Peak 2015
Caiden #546
23,341 births · Peak 2008
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Drew: #542 Unisex Name - 78,592 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/drew. 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 Drew 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.