Total births
54,154
Boys' name · since 1880
Horace
Horace has 54,154 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5241
- among boys today
- 54,154
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
54,154 babies have been named Horace since 1880, making it today's #5241 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Horace recorded 54,154 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #5241 nationally today, ahead of 63% 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 1880 to 2025.
- #5241 among boys today
- 54,154 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Horace is currently the #5241 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 54,154 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5241
- among boys today
- 54,154
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Horace vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5241
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Horace was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
1,313 babies were named Horace in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Horace compares
54,154 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Horace's all-time total is 148x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Horace | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 54,154 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,313 | 23 | 22,252 |
Horace's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Horace's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 21% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 79%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2025, with only 14 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 1,313, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Horace at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#5,241
Active since
1880
Horace popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 1,313
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Horace popularity over time - girls
202 total births recorded since 1914 (Horace as girls' name)
Horace by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Horace's strongest decade.
11,777 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Horace births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,650
1880s
1,650 births
- 1890s 1,814
1890s
1,814 births
- 1900s 2,125
1900s
2,125 births
- 1910s
1910s
8,489 births
- 1920s
1920s
11,777 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,126 births
- 1940s
1940s
6,876 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,719 births
- 1960s 3,138
1960s
3,138 births
- 1970s 1,816
1970s
1,816 births
- 1980s 1,118
1980s
1,118 births
- 1990s 753
1990s
753 births
- 2000s 384
2000s
384 births
- 2010s 262
2010s
262 births
- 2020s 107
2020s
107 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 11,777 births (22% of all-time use).
How Horace 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 Horace's total volume
Horace vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Horace by state
Where Horace concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 5,765 | 10.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,408 | 8.1% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 4,034 | 7.4% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 3,641 | 6.7% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 2,694 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 2,507 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Florida | | 2,404 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 2,251 | 4.2% |
Georgia share of Horace's total US births 10.6%
Even split
5,765 of 54,154 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Horace appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Horace? ▼
Horace has been given to 54,154 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5241 as of the latest data. 1,313 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Horace most popular? ▼
Horace was most popular in the 1920s decade with 11,777 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Horace most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Horace are Georgia (5,765 births), Texas (4,408 births), North Carolina (4,034 births).
How long has the name Horace been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Horace since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Horace? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Horacio, Horatio, Horton, Horice, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Horace's data
- Horace's decade-level peak was the 1920s (11,777 total births); usage has since declined to 107 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Horaces (5,765 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Horace
Nearby Names Like Horace
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Horace
Horacio Boy
#3229 4,502 births
Horatio Boy
#8991 1,443 births
Horton Boy
616 births
Horice Boy
97 births
Horus Boy
#8179 87 births
Compare Horace side by side: Horace vs Horacio Horace vs Horatio Horace vs Horton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Horace
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Horace: #5241 Boys' Name - 54,154 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/horace. 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 Horace 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.