Boys' name · since 1912
Harvard
614 babies named Harvard in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 1915. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6,966 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,719 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 614
- born since 1912
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Harvard is the #7719 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 614 recorded since 1912.
Social Security Administration records show Harvard recorded 614 times among boys since 1912, holding rank #7719 nationally today, ahead of 45% 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 1912 to 2025.
- #6,966 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #7,719 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 614 born since 1912
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Harvard ranks #6,966 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,719 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 614 born since 1912, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6,966 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,719 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 614
- born since 1912
- 1920s
- peak decade
Harvard's 614 recorded births place it above 84.68% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by New York.
How Harvard compares
614 Top 40% higher than 60% 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
Harvard's all-time total is 66% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Harvard | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 614 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 27 | 34 | 22,252 |
Harvard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Harvard's SSA record in two at 1939 and the more recent half accounts for 35% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 65%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1951, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1915 peak of 27, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Harvard popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1915)
- 27
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Harvard by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (138 births, 22% of the file).
1920s was Harvard's strongest decade.
138 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Harvard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
137 births
- 1920s
1920s
138 births
- 1930s
1930s
136 births
- 1940s
1940s
87 births
- 1950s 45
1950s
45 births
- 1960s 17
1960s
17 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
- 2010s 27
2010s
27 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 138 births (22% of all-time use).
How Harvard 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 Harvard's total volume
Harvard by state
Where Harvard concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 5 | 0.8% |
5 of 614 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Harvard? ▼
Where does Harvard sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Harvard most popular? ▼
Where is Harvard most popular? ▼
How long has the name Harvard been used? ▼
What names are similar to Harvard? ▼
What to do with Harvard's data
- Harvard's decade-level peak was the 1920s (138 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Harvards (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Harvard
Nearby Names Like Harvard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Harvard
Compare Harvard side by side: Harvard vs Harold Harvard vs Harry Harvard vs Harvey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Harvard
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Harvard: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1915)
Similar record span (~113 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, 1912–2025 (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 Harvard 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.