Total births
242
Boys' name · since 1913
Forbes
Since 1913, U.S. Social Security records show 242 babies named Forbes, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12453
- among boys today
- 242
- born since 1913
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
242 babies have been named Forbes since 1913, making it today's #12453 boys' name.
Forbes has 242 recorded births among boys since 1913, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12453 as of the latest data, more common than 13% of boys, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #12453 among boys today
- 242 born since 1913
- 1910s peak decade
- 13% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Forbes is currently the #12453 boys' name in America, more common than 13% of boys - 242 born since 1913, peaking in the 1910s.
- #12453
- among boys today
- 242
- born since 1913
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
Forbes vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12453
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 13% of names given to boys today.
1910s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Forbes was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
12 babies were named Forbes in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Forbes compares
242 41th percentile among 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
Forbes's all-time total is 34% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Forbes | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 242 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 12 | 23 | 22,252 |
Forbes's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Forbes's full recorded timeline at 1944, 47% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 53% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1913, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 12 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Forbes at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#12,453
Active since
1913
Forbes popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Forbes by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Forbes's strongest decade.
56 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Forbes births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
56 births
- 1920s
1920s
46 births
- 1930s
1930s
27 births
- 1940s 18
1940s
18 births
- 1950s
1950s
23 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1990s 11
1990s
11 births
- 2000s 7
2000s
7 births
- 2010s 17
2010s
17 births
- 2020s
2020s
32 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 56 births (23% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Forbes? ▼
242 babies have been named Forbes since 1913. It currently ranks #12453 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 12 births.
When was Forbes most popular? ▼
Forbes was most popular in the 1910s decade with 56 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
How long has the name Forbes been used? ▼
Forbes has been recorded in Social Security data since 1913, spanning 113 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Forbes? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Forrest, Forest, Ford, Fortunato, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Forbes's data
- Forbes's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (56 total births) through the 2020s (32) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Forbes
Nearby Names Like Forbes
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Forbes
Forrest Boy
#407 53,639 births
Forest Boy
#720 17,784 births
Ford Boy
#570 11,009 births
Fortunato Boy
#12420 910 births
Fortino Boy
#7314 800 births
Compare Forbes side by side: Forbes vs Forrest Forbes vs Forest Forbes vs Ford
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Forbes
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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Forbes: #12453 Boys' Name - 242 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/forbes. 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 Forbes 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.