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.
- #875 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #675 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 18,104
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Houston currently ranks #675 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 #675 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.
- #875 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #675 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 18,104 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Houston ranks #875 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #675 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 18,104 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #875 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #675 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 18,104
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Houston's 18,104 recorded births place it above 98.07% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
35 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Houston compares
18,104 Top 7% higher than 93% of 13,930 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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,104 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 440 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (2,621 births, 14% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Houston sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Houston most popular? ▼
Where is Houston most popular? ▼
How long has the name Houston been used? ▼
What names are similar to Houston? ▼
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
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
Compare Houston side by side: Houston vs Houa Houston vs Houghton Houston vs Houstyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Houston
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Houston: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2021)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 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 August 2026.