Total births
1,487,297
Boys' name · since 1880
George
George has 1,487,297 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #123
- among boys today
- 1,487,297
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- George is the #123 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,487,297 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, George has been recorded 1,487,297 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #123 nationally and more common than 99.1% 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.
- #123 among boys today
- 1,487,297 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 99.1% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
George is currently the #123 boys' name in America, more common than 99.1% of boys - 1,487,297 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #123
- among boys today
- 1,487,297
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other boys
George vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#123
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.1% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named George was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
27,476 babies were named George in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How George compares
1,487,297 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
George's all-time total is 4,053x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | George | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,487,297 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 27,476 | 23 | 22,252 |
George's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting George's full recorded timeline at 1953, 30% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 70% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2011, with just 2,318 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 27,476 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
George at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1921
Current rank
#123
Active since
1880
George popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 27,476
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
George popularity over time - girls
9,963 total births recorded since 1880 (George as girls' name)
George by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was George's strongest decade.
261,945 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
George births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 47,651
1880s
47,651 births
- 1890s 43,358
1890s
43,358 births
- 1900s 43,589
1900s
43,589 births
- 1910s
1910s
176,609 births
- 1920s
1920s
261,945 births
- 1930s
1930s
192,289 births
- 1940s
1940s
209,013 births
- 1950s
1950s
181,031 births
- 1960s
1960s
113,023 births
- 1970s 64,757
1970s
64,757 births
- 1980s 45,712
1980s
45,712 births
- 1990s 35,246
1990s
35,246 births
- 2000s 28,006
2000s
28,006 births
- 2010s 28,407
2010s
28,407 births
- 2020s 16,661
2020s
16,661 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 261,945 births (18% of all-time use).
How George 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 George's total volume
George vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
George by state
Where George concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 135,180 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 119,344 | 8.0% |
| #3 | California | | 80,648 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 72,286 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Texas | | 66,587 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 62,105 | 4.2% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 54,779 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 50,371 | 3.4% |
New York share of George's total US births 9.1%
Even split
135,180 of 1,487,297 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
George appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name George? ▼
George has been given to 1,487,297 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #123 as of the latest data. 27,476 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was George most popular? ▼
George was most popular in the 1920s decade with 261,945 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is George most popular? ▼
The top states for the name George are New York (135,180 births), Pennsylvania (119,344 births), California (80,648 births).
How long has the name George been used? ▼
Records for George go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to George? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Geoffrey, Geovanni, Geovanny, Geovany, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with George's data
- George's decade-level peak was the 1920s (261,945 total births); usage has since declined to 16,661 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Georges (135,180 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 George
Nearby Names Like George
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to George
Geoffrey Boy
#3052 54,394 births
Geovanni Boy
#1730 4,390 births
Geovanny Boy
#3728 2,823 births
Geovany Boy
#4252 1,747 births
Georgie Boy
#5256 1,645 births
Compare George side by side: George vs Geoffrey George vs Geovanni George vs Geovanny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to George
Giovanni #122
89,368 births · Peak 2010
Carson #124
132,774 births · Peak 2018
Harrison #121
99,138 births · Peak 2016
Kayden #125
73,606 births · Peak 2014
Milo #120
43,847 births · Peak 2022
Jonah #126
85,283 births · Peak 2008
Emmett #119
78,564 births · Peak 2021
Greyson #127
60,231 births · Peak 2017
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. "George: #123 Boys' Name - 1,487,297 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/george. 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 George 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.