Boys' name · since 1880
Ed
Ed has 26,205 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #726 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 26,205
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Ed is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 26,205 have been recorded since 1880.
Ed has 26,205 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, 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 1880 to 2024.
- #726 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 26,205 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ed ranks #726 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 26,205 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #726 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 26,205
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Ed's 26,205 recorded births place it above 98.4% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
42 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Ed's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ed's SSA record in two at 1951 and the more recent half accounts for 30% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 70%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2023, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 696, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ed popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2024
- Peak year (1959)
- 696
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Ed popularity over time - girls
165 total births recorded since 1892 (Ed as girls' name)
Ed by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (3,779 births, 14% of the file).
1960s was Ed's strongest decade.
3,779 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Ed births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
2,957 births
- 1890s
1890s
2,346 births
- 1900s
1900s
1,814 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,705 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,668 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,560 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,041 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,952 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,779 births
- 1970s 608
1970s
608 births
- 1980s 314
1980s
314 births
- 1990s 204
1990s
204 births
- 2000s 156
2000s
156 births
- 2010s 79
2010s
79 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 3,779 births (14% of all-time use).
How Ed 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 Ed's total volume
Ed by state
Where Ed concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,802 | 6.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,251 | 4.8% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 881 | 3.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 847 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 796 | 3.0% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 775 | 3.0% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 774 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 708 | 2.7% |
1,802 of 26,205 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Ed appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Ed's data
- Ed's decade-level peak was the 1960s (3,779 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Eds (1,802 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 Ed
Nearby Names Like Ed
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ed
Compare Ed side by side: Ed vs Edward Ed vs Edwin Ed vs Eddie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ed: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~144 yrs)
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, 1880–2024 (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 Ed 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.