Total births
38,998
Girls' name · since 1950
Ebony
Ebony has 38,998 recorded births since 1950 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1982 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5474
- among girls today
- 38,998
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
Ebony currently ranks #5474 among girls' names in America, with 38,998 babies recorded since 1950.
Ebony has 38,998 recorded births among girls since 1950, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5474 as of the latest data, more common than 69% of girls, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2025.
- #5474 among girls today
- 38,998 born since 1950
- 1980s peak decade
- 69% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ebony is currently the #5474 girls' name in America, more common than 69% of girls - 38,998 born since 1950, peaking in the 1980s.
- #5474
- among girls today
- 38,998
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
Ebony vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5474
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 69% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Ebony was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
2,279 babies were named Ebony in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
How Ebony compares
38,998 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Ebony's all-time total is 102x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ebony | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 38,998 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,279 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ebony's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ebony's full recorded timeline at 1995, 19% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 81% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1967, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1982 peak of 2,279 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ebony at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1982
Current rank
#5,474
Active since
1950
Ebony popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 2,279
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Ebony popularity over time - boys
455 total births recorded since 1971 (Ebony as boys' name)
Ebony by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Ebony's strongest decade.
18,263 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Ebony births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1960s 59
1960s
59 births
- 1970s 6,688
1970s
6,688 births
- 1980s
1980s
18,263 births
- 1990s
1990s
10,174 births
- 2000s 2,911
2000s
2,911 births
- 2010s 742
2010s
742 births
- 2020s 155
2020s
155 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 18,263 births (47% of all-time use).
How Ebony 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 Ebony's total volume
Ebony vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ebony by state
Where Ebony concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 4,131 | 10.6% |
| #2 | California | | 3,286 | 8.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 2,490 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Florida | | 2,118 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 2,094 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 1,846 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,764 | 4.5% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 1,734 | 4.4% |
New York share of Ebony's total US births 10.6%
Even split
4,131 of 38,998 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Ebony appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ebony? ▼
38,998 babies have been named Ebony since 1950. It currently ranks #5474 among girls. The peak year was 1982 with 2,279 births.
When was Ebony most popular? ▼
Ebony was most popular in the 1980s decade with 18,263 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Where is Ebony most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ebony are New York (4,131 births), California (3,286 births), Texas (2,490 births).
How long has the name Ebony been used? ▼
Records for Ebony go back to 1950, giving 76 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ebony? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Eboni, Ebonie, Ebonee, Ebone, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ebony's data
- Ebony's decade-level peak was the 1980s (18,263 total births); usage has since declined to 155 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ebonys (4,131 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Ebony
Nearby Names Like Ebony
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ebony
Eboni Girl
6,522 births
Ebonie Girl
2,638 births
Ebonee Girl
1,662 births
Ebone Girl
1,182 births
Eboney Girl
747 births
Compare Ebony side by side: Ebony vs Eboni Ebony vs Ebonie Ebony vs Ebonee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ebony
Elicia #5473
4,295 births · Peak 1983
Kalynn #5475
3,689 births · Peak 2008
Jayme #5472
14,071 births · Peak 1985
Jamison #5476
1,944 births · Peak 2005
Annamaria #5471
3,783 births · Peak 1966
Melannie #5477
1,746 births · Peak 2006
Brook #5470
10,630 births · Peak 1980
Camilia #5478
679 births · Peak 2022
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, 1950–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ebony: #5474 Girls' Name - 38,998 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ebony. 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 Ebony 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.