Total births
23,857
Boys' name · since 1880
Garland
23,857 babies named Garland in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5659
- among boys today
- 23,857
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Garland is the #5659 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 23,857 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Garland has been recorded 23,857 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #5659 nationally and more common than 60% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5659 among boys today
- 23,857 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 60% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Garland is currently the #5659 boys' name in America, more common than 60% of boys - 23,857 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5659
- among boys today
- 23,857
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Garland vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5659
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 60% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Garland was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
478 babies were named Garland in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Garland compares
23,857 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Garland's all-time total is 65x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Garland | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 23,857 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 478 | 23 | 22,252 |
Garland's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Garland's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 32% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 68%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 7 births recorded -- set against the 1922 peak of 478, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Garland at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#5,659
Active since
1880
Garland popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 478
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Garland popularity over time - girls
855 total births recorded since 1897 (Garland as girls' name)
Garland by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Garland's strongest decade.
4,144 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Garland births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 133
1880s
133 births
- 1890s 265
1890s
265 births
- 1900s 442
1900s
442 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,636 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,144 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,695 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,810 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,221 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,216 births
- 1970s 1,349
1970s
1,349 births
- 1980s 840
1980s
840 births
- 1990s 545
1990s
545 births
- 2000s 274
2000s
274 births
- 2010s 188
2010s
188 births
- 2020s 99
2020s
99 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 4,144 births (17% of all-time use).
How Garland 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 Garland's total volume
Garland vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Garland by state
Where Garland concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Virginia | | 2,942 | 12.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,602 | 10.9% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 2,576 | 10.8% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 1,150 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 1,040 | 4.4% |
| #6 | West Virginia | | 939 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 862 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Oklahoma | | 832 | 3.5% |
Virginia share of Garland's total US births 12.3%
Even split
2,942 of 23,857 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 32 reporting states.
Garland appears in 32 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Garland? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 23,857 babies named Garland. Today it holds rank #5659 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1922, with 478 births.
When was Garland most popular? ▼
Garland was most popular in the 1920s decade with 4,144 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Garland most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Garland are Virginia (2,942 births), Texas (2,602 births), North Carolina (2,576 births).
How long has the name Garland been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Garland since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Garland? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gary, Garrett, Garry, Garret, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Garland's data
- Garland's decade-level peak was the 1920s (4,144 total births); usage has since declined to 99 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Virginia records the most Garlands (2,942 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Virginia 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 Garland
Nearby Names Like Garland
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Garland
Gary Boy
#1133 902,152 births
Garrett Boy
#560 135,762 births
Garry Boy
#5071 47,670 births
Garret Boy
#6480 13,247 births
Garth Boy
#5258 9,666 births
Compare Garland side by side: Garland vs Gary Garland vs Garrett Garland vs Garry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Garland
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. "Garland: #5659 Boys' Name - 23,857 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/garland. 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 Garland 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.