Total births
5,064
Boys' name · since 1884
Hayward
5,064 babies named Hayward in U.S. Social Security records since 1884, with the highest year being 1956. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10963
- among boys today
- 5,064
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
5,064 babies have been named Hayward since 1884, making it today's #10963 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Hayward recorded 5,064 times among boys since 1884, holding rank #10963 nationally today, ahead of 23% 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 1884 to 2025.
- #10963 among boys today
- 5,064 born since 1884
- 1920s peak decade
- 23% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Hayward is currently the #10963 boys' name in America, more common than 23% of boys - 5,064 born since 1884, peaking in the 1920s.
- #10963
- among boys today
- 5,064
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Hayward vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10963
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 23% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Hayward was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
95 babies were named Hayward in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Hayward compares
5,064 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Hayward's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hayward | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,064 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 95 | 23 | 22,252 |
Hayward's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Hayward's full recorded timeline at 1953, 35% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 65% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1892, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 95 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Hayward at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#10,963
Active since
1884
Hayward popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 95
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Hayward by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Hayward's strongest decade.
814 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Hayward births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 21
1880s
21 births
- 1890s 68
1890s
68 births
- 1900s 112
1900s
112 births
- 1910s
1910s
468 births
- 1920s
1920s
814 births
- 1930s
1930s
767 births
- 1940s
1940s
812 births
- 1950s
1950s
744 births
- 1960s
1960s
456 births
- 1970s 302
1970s
302 births
- 1980s 222
1980s
222 births
- 1990s 146
1990s
146 births
- 2000s 64
2000s
64 births
- 2010s 46
2010s
46 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 814 births (16% of all-time use).
How Hayward 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 Hayward's total volume
Hayward vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Hayward by state
Where Hayward concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louisiana | | 434 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 383 | 7.6% |
| #3 | South Carolina | | 346 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 281 | 5.5% |
| #5 | West Virginia | | 218 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Florida | | 165 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Texas | | 120 | 2.4% |
| #8 | New York | | 72 | 1.4% |
Louisiana share of Hayward's total US births 8.6%
Even split
434 of 5,064 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Hayward appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Hayward? ▼
Since 1884, Social Security records show 5,064 babies named Hayward. Today it holds rank #10963 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 95 births.
When was Hayward most popular? ▼
Hayward was most popular in the 1920s decade with 814 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Hayward most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Hayward are Louisiana (434 births), Georgia (383 births), South Carolina (346 births).
How long has the name Hayward been used? ▼
Hayward has been recorded in Social Security data since 1884, spanning 142 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Hayward? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Hayden, Hayes, Haywood, Haydn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Hayward's data
- Hayward's decade-level peak was the 1920s (814 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Louisiana records the most Haywards (434 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana 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 Hayward
Nearby Names Like Hayward
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hayward
Hayden Boy
#154 114,084 births
Hayes Boy
#160 20,925 births
Haywood Boy
#6472 6,541 births
Haydn Boy
#5937 1,845 births
Haydon Boy
#4924 1,192 births
Compare Hayward side by side: Hayward vs Hayden Hayward vs Hayes Hayward vs Haywood
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hayward
Benjamen #10962
3,687 births · Peak 1990
Hill #10964
577 births · Peak 1919
Jeptha #10961
290 births · Peak 1924
Prentice #10965
3,929 births · Peak 1939
Jewell #10960
4,684 births · Peak 1923
Rob #10966
8,775 births · Peak 1963
Rudolf #10959
2,951 births · Peak 1927
Pratt #10967
118 births · Peak 2019
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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Hayward: #10963 Boys' Name - 5,064 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/hayward. 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 Hayward 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.