Total births
26,481
Boys' name · since 1880
Harlan
Harlan has 26,481 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1924 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #666
- among boys today
- 26,481
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Harlan is the #666 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 26,481 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Harlan recorded 26,481 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #666 nationally today, ahead of 95% 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 2025.
- #666 among boys today
- 26,481 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Harlan is currently the #666 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 26,481 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #666
- among boys today
- 26,481
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Harlan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#666
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Harlan was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
519 babies were named Harlan in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Harlan compares
26,481 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Harlan's all-time total is 72x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Harlan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 26,481 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 519 | 23 | 22,252 |
Harlan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Harlan splits its recorded history at 1953: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1924 peak of 519 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Harlan at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1924
Current rank
#666
Active since
1880
Harlan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 519
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Harlan popularity over time - girls
499 total births recorded since 1925 (Harlan as girls' name)
Harlan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Harlan's strongest decade.
4,177 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Harlan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 106
1880s
106 births
- 1890s 137
1890s
137 births
- 1900s 258
1900s
258 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,012 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,177 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,891 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,269 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,720 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,824 births
- 1970s 965
1970s
965 births
- 1980s 733
1980s
733 births
- 1990s 683
1990s
683 births
- 2000s 850
2000s
850 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,414 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,442 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 4,177 births (16% of all-time use).
How Harlan 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 Harlan's total volume
Harlan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Harlan by state
Where Harlan concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 1,737 | 6.6% |
| #2 | Iowa | | 1,652 | 6.2% |
| #3 | California | | 1,499 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,300 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Texas | | 1,205 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 1,100 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 1,074 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 1,023 | 3.9% |
Minnesota share of Harlan's total US births 6.6%
Even split
1,737 of 26,481 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Harlan appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Harlan? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 26,481 babies named Harlan. Today it holds rank #666 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1924, with 519 births.
When was Harlan most popular? ▼
Harlan was most popular in the 1920s decade with 4,177 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Harlan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Harlan are Minnesota (1,737 births), Iowa (1,652 births), California (1,499 births).
How long has the name Harlan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Harlan since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Harlan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Harold, Harry, Harvey, Harrison, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Harlan's data
- Harlan's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (4,177 total births) through the 2020s (2,442) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Minnesota records the most Harlans (1,737 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota 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 Harlan
Nearby Names Like Harlan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Harlan
Harold Boy
#988 551,632 births
Harry Boy
#775 423,866 births
Harvey Boy
#245 127,925 births
Harrison Boy
#121 99,138 births
Harley Boy
#1019 40,705 births
Compare Harlan side by side: Harlan vs Harold Harlan vs Harry Harlan vs Harvey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Harlan
Taylor #665
113,541 births · Peak 1992
Braylen #667
13,251 births · Peak 2011
Dereck #664
8,296 births · Peak 2024
Ahmad #668
20,348 births · Peak 2001
Roland #663
100,829 births · Peak 1924
Riggs #669
2,986 births · Peak 2024
Dilan #662
6,034 births · Peak 2024
Leonard #670
294,334 births · Peak 1921
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. "Harlan: #666 Boys' Name - 26,481 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/harlan. 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 Harlan 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.