Unisex name · since 1975
Harlem
Since 1975, U.S. Social Security records show 3,437 babies named Harlem, peaking in 2023. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,310 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #971 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,437
- born since 1975
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Harlem is the #971 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 3,437 recorded since 1975.
Social Security Administration records show Harlem recorded 3,437 times among boys since 1975, holding rank #971 nationally today, ahead of 93% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1975 to 2025.
- #2,310 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #971 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,437 born since 1975
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Harlem ranks #2,310 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #971 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,437 born since 1975, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,310 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #971 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,437
- born since 1975
- 2010s
- peak decade
Harlem's 3,437 recorded births place it above 94.92% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
28 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Harlem compares
3,437 Top 16% higher than 84% of 13,930 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
Harlem's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Harlem | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,437 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 254 | 34 | 22,252 |
Harlem's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Harlem's full recorded timeline at 2013, 82% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 18% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1975, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2023 peak of 254 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Harlem popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1975–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 254
- Annual births at peak, across 51 years of records
Harlem popularity over time - girls
1,745 total births recorded since 2000 (Harlem as girls' name)
Harlem by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,660 births, 48% of the file).
2010s was Harlem's strongest decade.
1,660 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.
Harlem births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 2000s 337
2000s
337 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,660 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,435 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,660 births (48% of all-time use).
How Harlem 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 Harlem's total volume
Harlem by state
Where Harlem concentrates geographically, total births since 1975
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 289 | 8.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 260 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 198 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 193 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 164 | 4.8% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 154 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 139 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 135 | 3.9% |
289 of 3,437 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Harlem appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Harlem's data
- Harlem's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,660 total births) through the 2020s (1,435) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Harlems (289 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Harlem
Nearby Names Like Harlem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Harlem
Compare Harlem side by side: Harlem vs Harold Harlem vs Harry Harlem vs Harvey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Harlem
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Harlem: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~50 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1975–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Harlem 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 August 2026.