Total births
12,522
Boys' name · since 1891
Edison
Edison has 12,522 recorded births since 1891 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2018 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #826
- among boys today
- 12,522
- born since 1891
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Edison is the #826 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 12,522 recorded since 1891.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Edison has been recorded 12,522 times among boys since 1891, currently ranked #826 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1891 to 2025.
- #826 among boys today
- 12,522 born since 1891
- 2010s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Edison is currently the #826 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 12,522 born since 1891, peaking in the 2010s.
- #826
- among boys today
- 12,522
- born since 1891
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Edison vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#826
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Edison was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
522 babies were named Edison in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Edison compares
12,522 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Edison's all-time total is 34x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Edison | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,522 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 522 | 23 | 22,252 |
Edison's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Edison splits its recorded history at 1959: 76% of all births land in the more recent half, 24% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1895 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 522 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Edison at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2018
Current rank
#826
Active since
1891
Edison popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1891–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 522
- Annual births at peak, across 135 years of records
Edison popularity over time - girls
216 total births recorded since 2003 (Edison as girls' name)
Edison by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Edison's strongest decade.
3,936 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Edison births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 63
1890s
63 births
- 1900s 99
1900s
99 births
- 1910s 649
1910s
649 births
- 1920s 771
1920s
771 births
- 1930s 502
1930s
502 births
- 1940s 470
1940s
470 births
- 1950s 543
1950s
543 births
- 1960s 434
1960s
434 births
- 1970s 337
1970s
337 births
- 1980s 421
1980s
421 births
- 1990s 610
1990s
610 births
- 2000s 1,555
2000s
1,555 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,936 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,132 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 3,936 births (31% of all-time use).
How Edison 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 Edison's total volume
Edison vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Edison by state
Where Edison concentrates geographically, total births since 1891
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,147 | 9.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 1,107 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 575 | 4.6% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 440 | 3.5% |
| #5 | Florida | | 407 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 346 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 335 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 288 | 2.3% |
California share of Edison's total US births 9.2%
Even split
1,147 of 12,522 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Edison appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Edison? ▼
12,522 babies have been named Edison since 1891. It currently ranks #826 among boys. The peak year was 2018 with 522 births.
When was Edison most popular? ▼
Edison was most popular in the 2010s decade with 3,936 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Edison most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Edison are California (1,147 births), New York (1,107 births), Texas (575 births).
How long has the name Edison been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Edison since 1891 -- 135 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Edison? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Edin, Edith, Edilberto, Ediel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Edison's data
- Edison's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (3,936 total births) through the 2020s (2,132) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Edisons (1,147 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 Edison
Nearby Names Like Edison
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Edison
Edin Boy
#3930 1,286 births
Edith Boy
825 births
Edilberto Boy
761 births
Ediel Boy
#3953 458 births
Edi Boy
#7404 379 births
Compare Edison side by side: Edison vs Edin Edison vs Edith Edison vs Edilberto
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Edison
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, 1891–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Edison: #826 Boys' Name - 12,522 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/edison. 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 Edison 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.