Total births
18,104
Boys' name · since 1880
Houston
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 18,104 babies named Houston, peaking in 2021. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #704
- among boys today
- 18,104
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Houston currently ranks #704 among boys' names in America, with 18,104 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Houston has been recorded 18,104 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #704 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #704 among boys today
- 18,104 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Houston is currently the #704 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 18,104 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #704
- among boys today
- 18,104
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Houston vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#704
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Houston was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
440 babies were named Houston in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Houston compares
18,104 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Houston's all-time total is 49x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Houston | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,104 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 440 | 23 | 22,252 |
Houston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Houston splits its recorded history at 1953: 68% of all births land in the more recent half, 32% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1881 (11 births) -- compare that against the 2021 peak of 440 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Houston at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2021
Current rank
#704
Active since
1880
Houston popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 440
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Houston popularity over time - girls
436 total births recorded since 1987 (Houston as girls' name)
Houston by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Houston's strongest decade.
2,621 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Houston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 162
1880s
162 births
- 1890s 185
1890s
185 births
- 1900s 305
1900s
305 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,117 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,579 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,097 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,093 births
- 1950s 839
1950s
839 births
- 1960s 634
1960s
634 births
- 1970s 482
1970s
482 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,164 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,302 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,198 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,621 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,326 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,621 births (14% of all-time use).
How Houston 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 Houston's total volume
Houston vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Houston by state
Where Houston concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,816 | 10.0% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 1,578 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 1,445 | 8.0% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 976 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 772 | 4.3% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 760 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 639 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Oklahoma | | 631 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Houston's total US births 10.0%
Even split
1,816 of 18,104 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Houston appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Houston? ▼
Houston has been given to 18,104 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #704 as of the latest data. 440 babies were born in 2021, its single highest year.
When was Houston most popular? ▼
Houston was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,621 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Houston most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Houston are Texas (1,816 births), Tennessee (1,578 births), Alabama (1,445 births).
How long has the name Houston been used? ▼
Houston has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Houston? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Houa, Houghton, Houstyn, Housten, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Houston's data
- Houston's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,621 total births) through the 2020s (2,326) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Houstons (1,816 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 Houston
Nearby Names Like Houston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Houston
Houa Boy
79 births
Houghton Boy
21 births
Houstyn Boy
18 births
Housten Boy
11 births
Houstin Boy
5 births
Compare Houston side by side: Houston vs Houa Houston vs Houghton Houston vs Houstyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Houston
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. "Houston: #704 Boys' Name - 18,104 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/houston. 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 Houston 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.