Total births
3,016
Boys' name · since 1880
Gardner
Gardner has 3,016 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1915 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4579
- among boys today
- 3,016
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Gardner currently ranks #4579 among boys' names in America, with 3,016 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Gardner recorded 3,016 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #4579 nationally today, ahead of 68% of boys, 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 1880 to 2025.
- #4579 among boys today
- 3,016 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 68% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gardner is currently the #4579 boys' name in America, more common than 68% of boys - 3,016 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4579
- among boys today
- 3,016
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Gardner vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4579
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 68% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Gardner was born in this single decade.
1915
Single peak year
65 babies were named Gardner in 1915 - its busiest year on record.
How Gardner compares
3,016 Top 17% higher than 83% of 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
Gardner's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gardner | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,016 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 65 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gardner's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gardner's SSA record in two at 1958 and the more recent half accounts for 37% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 63%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1915 peak of 65, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gardner at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1915
Current rank
#4,579
Active since
1880
Gardner popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1915)
- 65
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Gardner popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 2012 (Gardner as girls' name)
Gardner by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Gardner's strongest decade.
481 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Gardner births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 39
1880s
39 births
- 1890s 25
1890s
25 births
- 1900s 69
1900s
69 births
- 1910s
1910s
426 births
- 1920s
1920s
481 births
- 1930s
1930s
333 births
- 1940s
1940s
325 births
- 1950s
1950s
234 births
- 1960s
1960s
344 births
- 1970s 165
1970s
165 births
- 1980s 135
1980s
135 births
- 1990s 112
1990s
112 births
- 2000s 118
2000s
118 births
- 2010s 115
2010s
115 births
- 2020s 95
2020s
95 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 481 births (16% of all-time use).
How Gardner compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gardner's total volume
Gardner vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gardner by state
Where Gardner concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 281 | 9.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 68 | 2.3% |
| #3 | California | | 16 | 0.5% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 10 | 0.3% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 7 | 0.2% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 6 | 0.2% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.2% |
Massachusetts share of Gardner's total US births 9.3%
Even split
281 of 3,016 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Gardner appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gardner? ▼
3,016 babies have been named Gardner since 1880. It currently ranks #4579 among boys. The peak year was 1915 with 65 births.
When was Gardner most popular? ▼
Gardner was most popular in the 1920s decade with 481 total births. The single peak year was 1915.
Where is Gardner most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gardner are Massachusetts (281 births), New York (68 births), California (16 births).
How long has the name Gardner been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Gardner since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Gardner? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gary, Garrett, Garry, Garland, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gardner's data
- Gardner's decade-level peak was the 1920s (481 total births); usage has since declined to 95 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Massachusetts records the most Gardners (281 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Massachusetts 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 Gardner
Nearby Names Like Gardner
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gardner
Gary Boy
#1133 902,152 births
Garrett Boy
#560 135,762 births
Garry Boy
#5071 47,670 births
Garland Boy
#5659 23,857 births
Garret Boy
#6480 13,247 births
Compare Gardner side by side: Gardner vs Gary Gardner vs Garrett Gardner vs Garry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gardner
Soloman #4578
1,679 births · Peak 1999
Matthews #4580
1,605 births · Peak 1988
Arlington #4577
1,586 births · Peak 1917
Odell #4581
14,883 births · Peak 1922
Sid #4576
3,007 births · Peak 1960
Rosendo #4582
5,422 births · Peak 1993
Gabe #4575
4,110 births · Peak 2005
Lovell #4583
3,412 births · Peak 1916
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. "Gardner: #4579 Boys' Name - 3,016 Births, Peak 1915." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gardner. 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 Gardner 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.