Boys' name · since 1918

Foley

Foley has 32 recorded births since 1918 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1922 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#25,375 of 45,481
all-time among boys
32
born since 1918
1920s
peak decade

Foley is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 32 have been recorded since 1918.

Social Security Administration records show Foley recorded 32 times among boys since 1918, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 1955.

  • #25,375 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 32 born since 1918
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Foley ranks #25,375 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 32 born since 1918, peaking in the 1920s.

#25,375 of 45,481
all-time among boys
32
born since 1918
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Foley's 32 recorded births place it above 43.9% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Foley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Foley's full recorded timeline at 1922, 59% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 41% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1949, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1922 peak of 8 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Foley popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–1955

Last recorded 1955
Peak year (1922)
8
Annual births at peak, across 38 years of records
456789 19181920192219491955 6

Foley by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (15 births, 47% of the file).

1920s was Foley's strongest decade.

15 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.

Foley births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 15 births (47% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Foley? ▼
Since 1918, Social Security records show 32 babies named Foley. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #25,375 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1955. Its busiest year on record was 1922, with 8 births.
Where does Foley sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Foley ranks #25,375 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Foley most popular? ▼
Foley was most popular in the 1920s decade with 15 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
How long has the name Foley been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Foley since 1918 -- 38 years through the most recent 1955 data.
What names are similar to Foley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Folarin, Folsom, Folke, Folajimi. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Foley's data

  • Foley's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (15 total births) through the 1950s (6) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Foley

Nearby Names Like Foley

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Foley

Folarin Boy
#6759 78 births
Folsom Boy
14 births
Folke Boy
5 births
Folajimi Boy
5 births

Compare Foley side by side: Foley vs Folarin Foley vs Folsom Foley vs Folke

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Rexie
32 births · Peak 1913
Oliva
32 births · Peak 1924
Beamon
32 births · Peak 1919
Garr
32 births · Peak 1957
Laton
32 births · Peak 1976
Sellers
32 births · Peak 1917
Warne
32 births · Peak 1921
Kingdon
32 births · Peak 1923

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Foley: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1918–1955 (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 Foley 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.