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.
- #1,766 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,040 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,064
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
5,064 babies have been named Hayward since 1884, making it today's #12040 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Hayward recorded 5,064 times among boys since 1884, holding rank #12040 nationally today, ahead of 14% 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.
- #1,766 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,040 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 5,064 born since 1884
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hayward ranks #1,766 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,040 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 5,064 born since 1884, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,766 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,040 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,064
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
Hayward's 5,064 recorded births place it above 96.11% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
18 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Louisiana.
How Hayward compares
5,064 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Hayward's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hayward | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,064 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 95 | 34 | 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 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
1920s is the heaviest window (814 births, 16% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Hayward sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Hayward most popular? ▼
Where is Hayward most popular? ▼
How long has the name Hayward been used? ▼
What names are similar to Hayward? ▼
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
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
Compare Hayward side by side: Hayward vs Hayden Hayward vs Hayes Hayward vs Haywood
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hayward
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Hayward: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~141 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, 1884–2025 (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 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 August 2026.