Boys' name · since 1916

Duel

Duel has 280 recorded births since 1916 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1930 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#11,009 of 45,481
all-time among boys
280
born since 1916
1920s
peak decade

Duel is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 280 have been recorded since 1916.

Social Security Administration records show Duel recorded 280 times among boys since 1916, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 1997.

  • #11,009 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 280 born since 1916
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Duel ranks #11,009 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 280 born since 1916, peaking in the 1920s.

#11,009 of 45,481
all-time among boys
280
born since 1916
1920s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Duel's 280 recorded births place it above 75.76% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Duel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Duel's full recorded timeline at 1934, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1928, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1930 peak of 12 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Duel popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1997

Last recorded 1997
Peak year (1930)
12
Annual births at peak, across 82 years of records
468101214 191619211926193119361942195219931997 8

Duel by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (85 births, 30% of the file).

1920s was Duel's strongest decade.

85 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.

Duel births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 85 births (30% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Duel? ▼
Since 1916, Social Security records show 280 babies named Duel. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #11,009 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1997. Its busiest year on record was 1930, with 12 births.
Where does Duel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Duel ranks #11,009 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Duel most popular? ▼
Duel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 85 total births. The single peak year was 1930.
How long has the name Duel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Duel since 1916 -- 82 years through the most recent 1997 data.
What names are similar to Duel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Duell, Duey, Duece. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Duel's data

  • Duel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (85 total births); usage has since declined to 27 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

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

Keep exploring Duel

Nearby Names Like Duel

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

Duell Boy
110 births
Duey Boy
75 births
Duece Boy
10 births

Compare Duel side by side: Duel vs Duell Duel vs Duey Duel vs Duece

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Laurice
280 births · Peak 1919
Mansel
280 births · Peak 1924
Armel #6491
280 births · Peak 2023
Miriam
280 births · Peak 1989
Delfin
280 births · Peak 1969
Haruto #5918
280 births · Peak 2014
Eliasar
280 births · Peak 1997
Buzz #9837
280 births · Peak 1951

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Duel: 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, 1916–1997 (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 Duel 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.