Total births
1,443
Boys' name · since 1880
Horatio
Horatio has 1,443 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2007 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8991
- among boys today
- 1,443
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
1,443 babies have been named Horatio since 1880, making it today's #8991 boys' name.
Horatio has 1,443 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8991 as of the latest data, more common than 37% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #8991 among boys today
- 1,443 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 37% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Horatio is currently the #8991 boys' name in America, more common than 37% of boys - 1,443 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #8991
- among boys today
- 1,443
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Horatio vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8991
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 37% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Horatio was born in this single decade.
2007
Single peak year
40 babies were named Horatio in 2007 - its busiest year on record.
How Horatio compares
1,443 Top 25% higher than 75% 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
Horatio's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Horatio | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,443 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 40 | 23 | 22,252 |
Horatio's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Horatio's SSA record in two at 1963 and the more recent half accounts for 56% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 44%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1883, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 40, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Horatio at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2007
Current rank
#8,991
Active since
1880
Horatio popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 40
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Horatio by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Horatio's strongest decade.
173 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Horatio births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 50
1880s
50 births
- 1890s 43
1890s
43 births
- 1900s 24
1900s
24 births
- 1910s
1910s
128 births
- 1920s
1920s
151 births
- 1930s
1930s
77 births
- 1940s 44
1940s
44 births
- 1950s
1950s
98 births
- 1960s
1960s
88 births
- 1970s
1970s
164 births
- 1980s
1980s
132 births
- 1990s
1990s
92 births
- 2000s
2000s
173 births
- 2010s
2010s
133 births
- 2020s 46
2020s
46 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 173 births (12% of all-time use).
How Horatio 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 Horatio's total volume
Horatio vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Horatio by state
Where Horatio concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 27 | 1.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 17 | 1.2% |
| #3 | California | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.3% |
Texas share of Horatio's total US births 1.9%
Even split
27 of 1,443 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Horatio? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,443 babies named Horatio. Today it holds rank #8991 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2007, with 40 births.
When was Horatio most popular? ▼
Horatio was most popular in the 2000s decade with 173 total births. The single peak year was 2007.
Where is Horatio most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Horatio are Texas (27 births), New York (17 births), California (6 births).
How long has the name Horatio been used? ▼
Horatio has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Horatio? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Horace, Horacio, Horton, Horice, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Horatio's data
- Horatio's decade-level peak was the 2000s (173 total births); usage has since declined to 46 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Horatios (27 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 Horatio
Nearby Names Like Horatio
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Horatio
Horace Boy
#5241 54,154 births
Horacio Boy
#3229 4,502 births
Horton Boy
616 births
Horice Boy
97 births
Horus Boy
#8179 87 births
Compare Horatio side by side: Horatio vs Horace Horatio vs Horacio Horatio vs Horton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Horatio
Lafayette #8990
4,861 births · Peak 1921
Al #8992
17,079 births · Peak 1959
Washington #8989
2,644 births · Peak 1921
Parley #8993
687 births · Peak 1918
Alva #8988
11,269 births · Peak 1917
Odie #8994
2,623 births · Peak 1918
Winfield #8987
5,214 births · Peak 1916
Len #8995
4,514 births · Peak 1960
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. "Horatio: #8991 Boys' Name - 1,443 Births, Peak 2007." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/horatio. 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 Horatio 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.