Total births
686
Boys' name · since 1916
Heron
686 babies named Heron in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4335
- among boys today
- 686
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Heron is the #4335 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 686 recorded since 1916.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Heron has been recorded 686 times among boys since 1916, currently ranked #4335 nationally and more common than 70% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2025.
- #4335 among boys today
- 686 born since 1916
- 2000s peak decade
- 70% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Heron is currently the #4335 boys' name in America, more common than 70% of boys - 686 born since 1916, peaking in the 2000s.
- #4335
- among boys today
- 686
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
Heron vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4335
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 70% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Heron was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
24 babies were named Heron in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Heron compares
686 Top 37% higher than 63% 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
Heron's all-time total is 87% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Heron | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 686 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 23 | 22,252 |
Heron's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Heron splits its recorded history at 1990: 66% of all births land in the more recent half, 34% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1930 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 24 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Heron at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#4,335
Active since
1916
Heron popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Heron popularity over time - girls
16 total births recorded since 2011 (Heron as girls' name)
Heron by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Heron's strongest decade.
131 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Heron births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 15
1910s
15 births
- 1920s 19
1920s
19 births
- 1930s 10
1930s
10 births
- 1940s 20
1940s
20 births
- 1950s 22
1950s
22 births
- 1960s 13
1960s
13 births
- 1970s
1970s
60 births
- 1980s
1980s
74 births
- 1990s
1990s
94 births
- 2000s
2000s
131 births
- 2010s
2010s
116 births
- 2020s
2020s
112 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 131 births (19% of all-time use).
How Heron 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 Heron's total volume
Heron vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Heron by state
Where Heron concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 84 | 12.2% |
| #2 | California | | 13 | 1.9% |
Texas share of Heron's total US births 12.2%
Even split
84 of 686 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Heron? ▼
686 babies have been named Heron since 1916. It currently ranks #4335 among boys. The peak year was 2024 with 24 births.
When was Heron most popular? ▼
Heron was most popular in the 2000s decade with 131 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Heron most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Heron are Texas (84 births), California (13 births).
How long has the name Heron been used? ▼
Records for Heron go back to 1916, giving 110 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Heron? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Herbert, Herman, Herschel, Hershel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Heron's data
- Heron's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (131 total births) through the 2020s (112) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Herons (84 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Heron
Nearby Names Like Heron
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Heron
Herbert Boy
#2444 228,266 births
Herman Boy
#2637 135,977 births
Herschel Boy
#4892 10,674 births
Hershel Boy
#2675 10,329 births
Heriberto Boy
#2531 10,266 births
Compare Heron side by side: Heron vs Herbert Heron vs Herman Heron vs Herschel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Heron
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, 1916–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Heron: #4335 Boys' Name - 686 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/heron. 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 Heron 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.