Total births
4,025
Boys' name · since 1880
General
General has 4,025 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #9896
- among boys today
- 4,025
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other boys
4,025 babies have been named General since 1880, making it today's #9896 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show General recorded 4,025 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #9896 nationally today, ahead of 31% 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 2024.
- #9896 among boys today
- 4,025 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 31% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
General is currently the #9896 boys' name in America, more common than 31% of boys - 4,025 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #9896
- among boys today
- 4,025
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other boys
General vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9896
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 31% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named General was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
105 babies were named General in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How General compares
4,025 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
General's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | General | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,025 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 105 | 23 | 22,252 |
General's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
General splits its recorded history at 1951: 23% of all births land in the more recent half, 77% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1981 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 105 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
General at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#9,896
Active since
1880
General popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2024
- Peak year (1918)
- 105
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
General by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was General's strongest decade.
698 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
General births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
290 births
- 1890s 278
1890s
278 births
- 1900s 229
1900s
229 births
- 1910s
1910s
575 births
- 1920s
1920s
698 births
- 1930s
1930s
505 births
- 1940s
1940s
473 births
- 1950s
1950s
289 births
- 1960s 181
1960s
181 births
- 1970s 126
1970s
126 births
- 1980s 72
1980s
72 births
- 1990s 74
1990s
74 births
- 2000s 77
2000s
77 births
- 2010s 113
2010s
113 births
- 2020s 45
2020s
45 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 698 births (17% of all-time use).
How General 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 General's total volume
General vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
General by state
Where General concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 280 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 276 | 6.9% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 199 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 122 | 3.0% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 115 | 2.9% |
| #6 | Texas | | 102 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 84 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Arkansas | | 71 | 1.8% |
Georgia share of General's total US births 7.0%
Even split
280 of 4,025 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
General appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name General? ▼
4,025 babies have been named General since 1880. It currently ranks #9896 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 105 births.
When was General most popular? ▼
General was most popular in the 1920s decade with 698 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is General most popular? ▼
The top states for the name General are Georgia (280 births), Alabama (276 births), North Carolina (199 births).
How long has the name General been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked General since 1880 -- 145 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to General? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gene, Genaro, Gentry, Geno, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with General's data
- General's decade-level peak was the 1920s (698 total births); usage has since declined to 45 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Generals (280 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 General
Nearby Names Like General
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to General
Gene Boy
#1903 126,877 births
Genaro Boy
#2425 7,669 births
Gentry Boy
#1600 4,287 births
Geno Boy
#2755 3,725 births
Genesis Boy
#1148 3,666 births
Compare General side by side: General vs Gene General vs Genaro General vs Gentry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to General
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, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "General: #9896 Boys' Name - 4,025 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/general. 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 General 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.