Total births
455
Unisex name · since 1904
Gates
Gates has 455 recorded births since 1904 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2024 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3227
- among boys today
- 455
- born since 1904
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Gates currently ranks #3227 among unisex names in America, with 455 babies recorded since 1904.
Social Security Administration records show Gates recorded 455 times among boys since 1904, holding rank #3227 nationally today, ahead of 77% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1904 to 2025.
- #3227 among boys today
- 455 born since 1904
- 2010s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gates is currently the #3227 unisex name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 455 born since 1904, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3227
- among boys today
- 455
- born since 1904
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Gates vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3227
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Gates was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
37 babies were named Gates in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Gates compares
455 Top 46% higher than 54% 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
Gates's all-time total is 24% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gates | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 455 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 37 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gates's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gates's full recorded timeline at 2003, 69% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 31% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1912, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2024 peak of 37 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gates at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#3,227
Active since
1904
Gates popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1904–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 37
- Annual births at peak, across 122 years of records
Gates popularity over time - girls
44 total births recorded since 1993 (Gates as girls' name)
Gates by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Gates's strongest decade.
127 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Gates births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 11
1910s
11 births
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1930s 10
1930s
10 births
- 1950s 12
1950s
12 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s
1990s
64 births
- 2000s
2000s
76 births
- 2010s
2010s
127 births
- 2020s
2020s
123 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 127 births (28% of all-time use).
Gates by state
Where Gates concentrates geographically, total births since 1904
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gates? ▼
455 babies have been named Gates since 1904. It currently ranks #3227 among boys. The peak year was 2024 with 37 births.
When was Gates most popular? ▼
Gates was most popular in the 2010s decade with 127 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Gates most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gates are Alabama (6 births), Texas (5 births).
Is Gates a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Gates is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 455 births, and as a girl's name it has 44 births.
How long has the name Gates been used? ▼
Gates has been recorded in Social Security data since 1904, spanning 122 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Gates? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gatlin, Gatlyn, Gatsby, Gatlen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gates's data
- Gates's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (127 total births) through the 2020s (123) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Alabama records the most Gatess (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama 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 Gates
Nearby Names Like Gates
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gates
Gatlin Boy
#890 4,471 births
Gatlyn Boy
#6123 243 births
Gatsby Boy
#10519 152 births
Gatlen Boy
#11922 39 births
Gator Boy
#11589 26 births
Compare Gates side by side: Gates vs Gatlin Gates vs Gatlyn Gates vs Gatsby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gates
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, 1904–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gates: #3227 Unisex Name - 455 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gates. 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 Gates 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.