Total births
74
Boys' name · since 1880
Friend
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 74 babies named Friend, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 74
- total births
- 1880–1972
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 61%
- born in that decade
Friend sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 74 recorded since 1880.
Friend has 74 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 1972.
- 74 total births
- 1880–1972 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 61% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
74 boys have been named Friend since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1972.
- 74
- total births
- 1880–1972
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 61%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
61% of everyone ever named Friend was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
10 babies were named Friend in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
Friend's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Friend's full recorded timeline at 1923, 45% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 55% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1919, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 10 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Friend at a glance
Last recorded 1972Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Friend popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1972
- Peak year (1920)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 93 years of records
Friend by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Friend's strongest decade.
45 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 61% of all-time use.
Friend births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1910s 13
1910s
13 births
- 1920s
1920s
45 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 45 births (61% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Friend? ▼
74 babies have been named Friend since 1880. It was last recorded in 1972. The peak year was 1920 with 10 births.
When was Friend most popular? ▼
Friend was most popular in the 1920s decade with 45 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
How long has the name Friend been used? ▼
Friend has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 93 years of data through 1972.
What names are similar to Friend? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Fritz, Friedrich, Frisco, Friddie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Friend's data
- Friend's decade-level peak was the 1920s (45 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Friend
Nearby Names Like Friend
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Friend
Fritz Boy
#2503 6,683 births
Friedrich Boy
#4911 652 births
Frisco Boy
174 births
Friddie Boy
49 births
Fritzgerald Boy
43 births
Compare Friend side by side: Friend vs Fritz Friend vs Friedrich Friend vs Frisco
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1880–1972 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Friend: Baby Name Since 1880 - 74 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/friend. 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 Friend 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.