Total births
1,453
Unisex name · since 1924
Irish
1,453 babies named Irish in U.S. Social Security records since 1924, with the highest year being 1960. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 1,453
- total births
- 1924–2025
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
Irish is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 1,453 have been recorded since 1924.
Irish has 1,453 recorded births among girls since 1924, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1924 to 2025.
- 1,453 total births
- 1924–2025 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 19% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,453 girls have been named Irish since 1924, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2025.
- 1,453
- total births
- 1924–2025
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Irish was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
40 babies were named Irish in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
Irish's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Irish splits its recorded history at 1975: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1930 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 40 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Irish at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1960
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1924
Irish popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1924–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 40
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Irish popularity over time - boys
155 total births recorded since 1925 (Irish as boys' name)
Irish by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Irish's strongest decade.
283 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Irish births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 32
1920s
32 births
- 1930s 64
1930s
64 births
- 1940s 109
1940s
109 births
- 1950s
1950s
243 births
- 1960s
1960s
283 births
- 1970s
1970s
163 births
- 1980s
1980s
155 births
- 1990s
1990s
121 births
- 2000s
2000s
146 births
- 2010s 101
2010s
101 births
- 2020s 36
2020s
36 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 283 births (19% of all-time use).
How Irish compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Irish's total volume
Irish vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Irish by state
Where Irish concentrates geographically, total births since 1924
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 36 | 2.5% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 28 | 1.9% |
| #3 | Florida | | 15 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 7 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.3% |
North Carolina share of Irish's total US births 2.5%
Even split
36 of 1,453 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Irish? ▼
1,453 babies have been named Irish since 1924. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1960 with 40 births.
When was Irish most popular? ▼
Irish was most popular in the 1960s decade with 283 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Irish most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Irish are North Carolina (36 births), Georgia (28 births), Florida (15 births).
Is Irish a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Irish is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 1,453 births, and as a boy's name it has 155 births.
How long has the name Irish been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Irish since 1924 -- 102 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Irish? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Iris, Irie, Irina, Irine, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Irish's data
- Irish's decade-level peak was the 1960s (283 total births); usage has since declined to 36 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Irishs (36 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Irish
Nearby Names Like Irish
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Irish
Iris Girl
#71 101,550 births
Irie Girl
#1650 2,755 births
Irina Girl
#1561 2,425 births
Irine Girl
1,528 births
Iriana Girl
#9790 632 births
Compare Irish side by side: Irish vs Iris Irish vs Irie Irish vs Irina
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1924–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Irish: Baby Name Since 1924 - 1,453 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/irish. 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 Irish 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.