Total births
37,666
Girls' name · since 1880
Fern
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 37,666 babies named Fern, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1250
- among girls today
- 37,666
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Fern currently ranks #1250 among girls' names in America, with 37,666 babies recorded since 1880.
Fern has 37,666 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1250 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, 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 2025.
- #1250 among girls today
- 37,666 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Fern is currently the #1250 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 37,666 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1250
- among girls today
- 37,666
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Fern vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1250
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Fern was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
1,341 babies were named Fern in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Fern compares
37,666 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
Fern's all-time total is 99x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Fern | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 37,666 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,341 | 48 | 19,840 |
Fern's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Fern's full recorded timeline at 1953, 13% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 87% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1986, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 1,341 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Fern at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#1,250
Active since
1880
Fern popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,341
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Fern popularity over time - boys
529 total births recorded since 1884 (Fern as boys' name)
Fern by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Fern's strongest decade.
10,254 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Fern births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 434
1880s
434 births
- 1890s 1,937
1890s
1,937 births
- 1900s 2,813
1900s
2,813 births
- 1910s
1910s
9,250 births
- 1920s
1920s
10,254 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,570 births
- 1940s 2,803
1940s
2,803 births
- 1950s 2,213
1950s
2,213 births
- 1960s 985
1960s
985 births
- 1970s 299
1970s
299 births
- 1980s 174
1980s
174 births
- 1990s 97
1990s
97 births
- 2000s 167
2000s
167 births
- 2010s 717
2010s
717 births
- 2020s 953
2020s
953 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 10,254 births (27% of all-time use).
How Fern 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 Fern's total volume
Fern vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Fern by state
Where Fern concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 2,351 | 6.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 2,303 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Missouri | | 2,109 | 5.6% |
| #4 | New York | | 1,803 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Minnesota | | 1,514 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 1,383 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 1,322 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 1,246 | 3.3% |
Illinois share of Fern's total US births 6.2%
Even split
2,351 of 37,666 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Fern appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Fern? ▼
Fern has been given to 37,666 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1250 as of the latest data. 1,341 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Fern most popular? ▼
Fern was most popular in the 1920s decade with 10,254 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Fern most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Fern are Illinois (2,351 births), Pennsylvania (2,303 births), Missouri (2,109 births).
How long has the name Fern been used? ▼
Records for Fern go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Fern? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Fernanda, Ferne, Ferol, Fernando, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Fern's data
- Fern's decade-level peak was the 1920s (10,254 total births); usage has since declined to 953 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Ferns (2,351 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Fern
Nearby Names Like Fern
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Fern
Fernanda Girl
#500 20,130 births
Ferne Girl
4,676 births
Ferol Girl
618 births
Fernando Girl
590 births
Fernande Girl
521 births
Compare Fern side by side: Fern vs Fernanda Fern vs Ferne Fern vs Ferol
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Fern
Ripley #1249
2,555 births · Peak 2025
Karen #1251
987,989 births · Peak 1957
Aliah #1248
5,831 births · Peak 2015
Evangelina #1252
10,319 births · Peak 2012
Leni #1247
1,935 births · Peak 2023
Karolina #1253
4,676 births · Peak 2007
Onyx #1246
1,783 births · Peak 2023
Giulia #1254
3,783 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Fern: #1250 Girls' Name - 37,666 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/fern. 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 Fern 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.