Boys' name · since 1884
Herb
Since 1884, U.S. Social Security records show 2,007 babies named Herb, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3,295 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,007
- born since 1884
- 1940s
- peak decade
Herb is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 2,007 have been recorded since 1884.
Herb has 2,007 recorded births among boys since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 1993.
- #3,295 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 2,007 born since 1884
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Herb ranks #3,295 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,007 born since 1884, peaking in the 1940s.
- #3,295 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,007
- born since 1884
- 1940s
- peak decade
Herb's 2,007 recorded births place it above 92.75% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
12 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Herb's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Herb's SSA record in two at 1948 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1895, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 70, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Herb popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–1993
- Peak year (1947)
- 70
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Herb by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (531 births, 26% of the file).
1940s was Herb's strongest decade.
531 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Herb births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 7
1880s
7 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 12
1900s
12 births
- 1910s 65
1910s
65 births
- 1920s 149
1920s
149 births
- 1930s
1930s
394 births
- 1940s
1940s
531 births
- 1950s
1950s
320 births
- 1960s
1960s
377 births
- 1970s 84
1970s
84 births
- 1980s 46
1980s
46 births
- 1990s 17
1990s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 531 births (26% of all-time use).
How Herb 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 Herb's total volume
Herb by state
Where Herb concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 168 | 8.4% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 54 | 2.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 51 | 2.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 36 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 30 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Washington | | 27 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 17 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 12 | 0.6% |
168 of 2,007 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Herb appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Herb? ▼
Where does Herb sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Herb most popular? ▼
Where is Herb most popular? ▼
How long has the name Herb been used? ▼
What names are similar to Herb? ▼
What to do with Herb's data
- Herb's decade-level peak was the 1940s (531 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Herbs (168 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 Herb
Nearby Names Like Herb
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Herb
Compare Herb side by side: Herb vs Herbert Herb vs Herman Herb vs Herschel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Herb: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1947)
Similar record span (~109 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, 1884–1993 (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 Herb 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.