Unisex name · since 1880
Fate
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,186 babies named Fate, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,621 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,186
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Fate sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 1,186 recorded since 1880.
Fate has 1,186 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 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2023.
- #4,621 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,186 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Fate ranks #4,621 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,186 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,621 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,186
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Fate's 1,186 recorded births place it above 89.83% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
7 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Tennessee.
Fate's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Fate splits its recorded history at 1934: 36% of all births land in the more recent half, 64% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1898 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1919 peak of 35 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Fate popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1919)
- 35
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Fate popularity over time - girls
143 total births recorded since 1997 (Fate as girls' name)
Fate by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (199 births, 17% of the file).
1920s was Fate's strongest decade.
199 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Fate births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
101 births
- 1890s
1890s
101 births
- 1900s
1900s
82 births
- 1910s
1910s
188 births
- 1920s
1920s
199 births
- 1930s
1930s
152 births
- 1940s
1940s
115 births
- 1950s 72
1950s
72 births
- 1960s 42
1960s
42 births
- 1970s 23
1970s
23 births
- 1980s 17
1980s
17 births
- 1990s 23
1990s
23 births
- 2000s 32
2000s
32 births
- 2010s 19
2010s
19 births
- 2020s 20
2020s
20 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 199 births (17% of all-time use).
How Fate 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 Fate's total volume
Fate by state
Where Fate concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tennessee | | 46 | 3.9% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 20 | 1.7% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 17 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 13 | 1.1% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 13 | 1.1% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 8 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Texas | | 5 | 0.4% |
46 of 1,186 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Fate's data
- Fate's decade-level peak was the 1920s (199 total births); usage has since declined to 20 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Tennessee records the most Fates (46 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Tennessee names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Fate
Nearby Names Like Fate
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Fate
Compare Fate side by side: Fate vs Fateh Fate vs Fatih Fate vs Fatima
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Fate: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1919)
Similar record span (~143 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, 1880–2023 (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 Fate 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.