Total births
154,909
Boys' name · since 1880
Gordon
Gordon has 154,909 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1952 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1087
- among boys today
- 154,909
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Gordon currently ranks #1087 among boys' names in America, with 154,909 babies recorded since 1880.
Gordon has 154,909 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1087 as of the latest data, more common than 92% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1087 among boys today
- 154,909 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gordon is currently the #1087 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 154,909 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1087
- among boys today
- 154,909
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Gordon vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1087
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Gordon was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
2,829 babies were named Gordon in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Gordon compares
154,909 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Gordon's all-time total is 422x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gordon | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 154,909 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,829 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gordon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Gordon splits its recorded history at 1953: 35% of all births land in the more recent half, 65% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (32 births) -- compare that against the 1952 peak of 2,829 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Gordon at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1952
Current rank
#1,087
Active since
1880
Gordon popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 2,829
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Gordon popularity over time - girls
670 total births recorded since 1893 (Gordon as girls' name)
Gordon by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Gordon's strongest decade.
25,741 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Gordon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 499
1880s
499 births
- 1890s 939
1890s
939 births
- 1900s 1,642
1900s
1,642 births
- 1910s
1910s
13,641 births
- 1920s
1920s
25,622 births
- 1930s
1930s
25,460 births
- 1940s
1940s
24,468 births
- 1950s
1950s
25,741 births
- 1960s
1960s
15,832 births
- 1970s 6,583
1970s
6,583 births
- 1980s 5,030
1980s
5,030 births
- 1990s 3,532
1990s
3,532 births
- 2000s 2,304
2000s
2,304 births
- 2010s 2,283
2010s
2,283 births
- 2020s 1,333
2020s
1,333 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 25,741 births (17% of all-time use).
How Gordon 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 Gordon's total volume
Gordon vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gordon by state
Where Gordon concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 12,165 | 7.9% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 11,571 | 7.5% |
| #3 | California | | 10,954 | 7.1% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 7,382 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 7,021 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 6,916 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 6,586 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 5,800 | 3.7% |
New York share of Gordon's total US births 7.9%
Even split
12,165 of 154,909 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Gordon appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gordon? ▼
Gordon has been given to 154,909 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1087 as of the latest data. 2,829 babies were born in 1952, its single highest year.
When was Gordon most popular? ▼
Gordon was most popular in the 1950s decade with 25,741 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Gordon most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gordon are New York (12,165 births), Michigan (11,571 births), California (10,954 births).
How long has the name Gordon been used? ▼
Records for Gordon go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Gordon? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gorge, Gorden, Gordan, Gorman, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gordon's data
- Gordon's decade-level peak was the 1950s (25,741 total births); usage has since declined to 1,333 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Gordons (12,165 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 Gordon
Nearby Names Like Gordon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gordon
Gorge Boy
2,609 births
Gorden Boy
2,049 births
Gordan Boy
1,025 births
Gorman Boy
818 births
Gordy Boy
336 births
Compare Gordon side by side: Gordon vs Gorge Gordon vs Gorden Gordon vs Gordan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gordon
Koah #1086
1,279 births · Peak 2025
Montgomery #1088
5,701 births · Peak 2025
Kooper #1085
4,012 births · Peak 2022
Shai #1089
2,469 births · Peak 2023
Canaan #1084
5,843 births · Peak 2016
Dhruv #1090
4,474 births · Peak 2019
Marlon #1083
30,956 births · Peak 1972
Jream #1091
646 births · Peak 2024
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. "Gordon: #1087 Boys' Name - 154,909 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gordon. 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 Gordon 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.