Total births
554
Boys' name · since 1887
Irl
554 babies named Irl in U.S. Social Security records since 1887, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 554
- total births
- 1887–1970
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 24%
- born in that decade
Irl is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 554 have been recorded since 1887.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Irl has been recorded 554 times among boys since 1887, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 1970.
- 554 total births
- 1887–1970 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 24% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
554 boys have been named Irl since 1887, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1970.
- 554
- total births
- 1887–1970
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 24%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Irl was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
19 babies were named Irl in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
Irl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Irl's full recorded timeline at 1932, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1896, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 19 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Irl at a glance
Last recorded 1970Peak year
1921
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1887
Irl popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–1970
- Peak year (1921)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 84 years of records
Irl by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Irl's strongest decade.
132 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Irl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 28
1880s
28 births
- 1890s
1890s
60 births
- 1910s
1910s
70 births
- 1920s
1920s
132 births
- 1930s
1930s
87 births
- 1940s
1940s
70 births
- 1950s
1950s
73 births
- 1960s 28
1960s
28 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 132 births (24% of all-time use).
How Irl 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 Irl's total volume
Irl vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Irl by state
Where Irl concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Irl? ▼
Since 1887, Social Security records show 554 babies named Irl. The most recent recorded year was 1970. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 19 births.
When was Irl most popular? ▼
Irl was most popular in the 1920s decade with 132 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Irl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Irl are Kansas (5 births), Missouri (5 births).
How long has the name Irl been used? ▼
Irl has been recorded in Social Security data since 1887, spanning 84 years of data through 1970.
What names are similar to Irl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Irlan, Irland. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Irl's data
- Irl's decade-level peak was the 1920s (132 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kansas records the most Irls (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kansas 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 Irl
Nearby Names Like Irl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Irl
Compare Irl side by side: Irl vs Irlan Irl vs Irland
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, 1887–1970 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Irl: Baby Name Since 1887 - 554 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/irl. 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 Irl 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.