Total births
1,354
Girls' name · since 1917
Gardenia
Gardenia has 1,354 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1992 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #9017
- among girls today
- 1,354
- born since 1917
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
1,354 babies have been named Gardenia since 1917, making it today's #9017 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gardenia has been recorded 1,354 times among girls since 1917, currently ranked #9017 nationally and more common than 49% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #9017 among girls today
- 1,354 born since 1917
- 1990s peak decade
- 49% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gardenia is currently the #9017 girls' name in America, more common than 49% of girls - 1,354 born since 1917, peaking in the 1990s.
- #9017
- among girls today
- 1,354
- born since 1917
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Gardenia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#9017
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 49% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Gardenia was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
70 babies were named Gardenia in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Gardenia compares
1,354 Top 27% higher than 73% 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
Gardenia's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gardenia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,354 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 70 | 48 | 19,840 |
Gardenia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Gardenia splits its recorded history at 1976: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1917 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1992 peak of 70 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Gardenia at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#9,017
Active since
1917
Gardenia popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 70
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Gardenia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Gardenia's strongest decade.
315 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Gardenia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 10
1910s
10 births
- 1920s 18
1920s
18 births
- 1930s 118
1930s
118 births
- 1940s
1940s
148 births
- 1950s
1950s
154 births
- 1960s 99
1960s
99 births
- 1970s 75
1970s
75 births
- 1980s 79
1980s
79 births
- 1990s
1990s
315 births
- 2000s
2000s
178 births
- 2010s 114
2010s
114 births
- 2020s 46
2020s
46 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 315 births (23% of all-time use).
How Gardenia 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 Gardenia's total volume
Gardenia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Gardenia by state
Where Gardenia concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 257 | 19.0% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 59 | 4.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 29 | 2.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Oregon | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 5 | 0.4% |
California share of Gardenia's total US births 19.0%
Even split
257 of 1,354 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gardenia? ▼
1,354 babies have been named Gardenia since 1917. It currently ranks #9017 among girls. The peak year was 1992 with 70 births.
When was Gardenia most popular? ▼
Gardenia was most popular in the 1990s decade with 315 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Gardenia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gardenia are California (257 births), South Carolina (59 births), Texas (29 births).
How long has the name Gardenia been used? ▼
Gardenia has been recorded in Social Security data since 1917, spanning 109 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Gardenia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Garnet, Gary, Garnett, Garnette, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Gardenia's data
- Gardenia's decade-level peak was the 1990s (315 total births); usage has since declined to 46 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gardenias (257 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Gardenia
Nearby Names Like Gardenia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gardenia
Garnet Girl
#15335 6,913 births
Gary Girl
3,286 births
Garnett Girl
2,784 births
Garnette Girl
945 births
Garnetta Girl
895 births
Compare Gardenia side by side: Gardenia vs Garnet Gardenia vs Gary Gardenia vs Garnett
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gardenia
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, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gardenia: #9017 Girls' Name - 1,354 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gardenia. 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 Gardenia 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.