Unisex name · since 1995
Espen
715 babies named Espen in U.S. Social Security records since 1995, with the highest year being 2015. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6,343 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,909 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 715
- born since 1995
- 2010s
- peak decade
715 babies have been named Espen since 1995, making it today's #3909 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Espen recorded 715 times among boys since 1995, holding rank #3909 nationally today, ahead of 72% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1995 to 2025.
- #6,343 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,909 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 715 born since 1995
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Espen ranks #6,343 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,909 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 715 born since 1995, peaking in the 2010s.
- #6,343 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,909 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 715
- born since 1995
- 2010s
- peak decade
Espen's 715 recorded births place it above 86.03% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Espen compares
715 Top 37% higher than 63% of 13,930 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
Espen's all-time total is 94% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Espen | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 715 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 37 | 34 | 22,252 |
Espen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Espen's full recorded timeline at 2010, 65% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 35% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1995, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2015 peak of 37 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Espen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1995–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 37
- Annual births at peak, across 31 years of records
Espen popularity over time - girls
148 total births recorded since 2014 (Espen as girls' name)
Espen by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (299 births, 42% of the file).
2010s was Espen's strongest decade.
299 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Espen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 46
1990s
46 births
- 2000s
2000s
205 births
- 2010s
2010s
299 births
- 2020s
2020s
165 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 299 births (42% of all-time use).
How Espen 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 Espen's total volume
Espen by state
Where Espen concentrates geographically, total births since 1995
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5 | 0.7% |
5 of 715 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Espen? ▼
Where does Espen sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Espen most popular? ▼
Where is Espen most popular? ▼
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What to do with Espen's data
- Espen's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (299 total births) through the 2020s (165) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Espens (5 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 Espen
Nearby Names Like Espen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Espen
Compare Espen side by side: Espen vs Espn Espen vs Espiridion Espen vs Esper
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Espen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Espen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2015)
Similar record span (~30 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, 1995–2025 (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 Espen 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.