Total births
6,517
Boys' name · since 1880
Hamilton
6,517 babies named Hamilton in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2016. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2640
- among boys today
- 6,517
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
6,517 babies have been named Hamilton since 1880, making it today's #2640 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hamilton has been recorded 6,517 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2640 nationally and more common than 82% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. 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.
- #2640 among boys today
- 6,517 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 82% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Hamilton is currently the #2640 boys' name in America, more common than 82% of boys - 6,517 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2640
- among boys today
- 6,517
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Hamilton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2640
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 82% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Hamilton was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
98 babies were named Hamilton in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Hamilton compares
6,517 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Hamilton's all-time total is 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hamilton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,517 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 98 | 23 | 22,252 |
Hamilton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Hamilton's full recorded timeline at 1953, 62% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 38% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2016 peak of 98 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Hamilton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2016
Current rank
#2,640
Active since
1880
Hamilton popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 98
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Hamilton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Hamilton's strongest decade.
793 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Hamilton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 148
1880s
148 births
- 1890s 103
1890s
103 births
- 1900s 144
1900s
144 births
- 1910s
1910s
557 births
- 1920s
1920s
625 births
- 1930s
1930s
387 births
- 1940s
1940s
381 births
- 1950s
1950s
338 births
- 1960s
1960s
352 births
- 1970s
1970s
373 births
- 1980s
1980s
615 births
- 1990s
1990s
691 births
- 2000s
2000s
677 births
- 2010s
2010s
793 births
- 2020s
2020s
333 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 793 births (12% of all-time use).
How Hamilton 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 Hamilton's total volume
Hamilton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Hamilton by state
Where Hamilton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 372 | 5.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 301 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 291 | 4.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 271 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Florida | | 86 | 1.3% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 73 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 66 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 55 | 0.8% |
California share of Hamilton's total US births 5.7%
Even split
372 of 6,517 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Hamilton appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Hamilton? ▼
Hamilton has been given to 6,517 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2640 as of the latest data. 98 babies were born in 2016, its single highest year.
When was Hamilton most popular? ▼
Hamilton was most popular in the 2010s decade with 793 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Hamilton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Hamilton are California (372 births), Texas (301 births), Georgia (291 births).
How long has the name Hamilton been used? ▼
Records for Hamilton go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Hamilton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Hamza, Hampton, Hamzah, Hamp, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Hamilton's data
- Hamilton's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (793 total births) through the 2020s (333) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Hamiltons (372 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Hamilton
Nearby Names Like Hamilton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hamilton
Hamza Boy
#528 10,573 births
Hampton Boy
#1521 4,780 births
Hamzah Boy
#2939 1,544 births
Hamp Boy
1,076 births
Hamid Boy
#7353 928 births
Compare Hamilton side by side: Hamilton vs Hamza Hamilton vs Hampton Hamilton vs Hamzah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hamilton
Loren #2639
46,479 births · Peak 1955
Orrin #2641
5,985 births · Peak 1915
Willis #2638
52,336 births · Peak 1924
Gaspar #2642
2,211 births · Peak 2024
Herman #2637
135,977 births · Peak 1921
Nyle #2643
2,173 births · Peak 2016
Amazi #2636
267 births · Peak 2025
Willem #2644
2,840 births · Peak 2003
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. "Hamilton: #2640 Boys' Name - 6,517 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/hamilton. 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 Hamilton 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.