Total births
2,170
Girls' name · since 1951
January
2,170 babies named January in U.S. Social Security records since 1951, with the highest year being 1978. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9062
- among girls today
- 2,170
- born since 1951
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- January is the #9062 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,170 recorded since 1951.
Social Security Administration records show January recorded 2,170 times among girls since 1951, holding rank #9062 nationally today, ahead of 49% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1951 to 2025.
- #9062 among girls today
- 2,170 born since 1951
- 1970s peak decade
- 49% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
January is currently the #9062 girls' name in America, more common than 49% of girls - 2,170 born since 1951, peaking in the 1970s.
- #9062
- among girls today
- 2,170
- born since 1951
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
January vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#9062
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 49% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named January was born in this single decade.
1978
Single peak year
257 babies were named January in 1978 - its busiest year on record.
How January compares
2,170 Top 21% higher than 79% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
January's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | January | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,170 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 257 | 48 | 19,840 |
January's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting January's full recorded timeline at 1992, 25% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 75% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1953, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1978 peak of 257 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
January at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1978
Current rank
#9,062
Active since
1951
January popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1951–2025
- Peak year (1978)
- 257
- Annual births at peak, across 75 years of records
January by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was January's strongest decade.
1,000 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
January births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 17
1950s
17 births
- 1960s 75
1960s
75 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,000 births
- 1980s
1980s
517 births
- 1990s 116
1990s
116 births
- 2000s 115
2000s
115 births
- 2010s 239
2010s
239 births
- 2020s 91
2020s
91 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,000 births (46% of all-time use).
How January 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 January's total volume
January vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
January by state
Where January concentrates geographically, total births since 1951
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 161 | 7.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 89 | 4.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 83 | 3.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 70 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 58 | 2.7% |
| #6 | Florida | | 51 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 37 | 1.7% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 36 | 1.7% |
California share of January's total US births 7.4%
Even split
161 of 2,170 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
January appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name January? ▼
Since 1951, Social Security records show 2,170 babies named January. Today it holds rank #9062 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1978, with 257 births.
When was January most popular? ▼
January was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,000 total births. The single peak year was 1978.
Where is January most popular? ▼
The top states for the name January are California (161 births), Texas (89 births), New York (83 births).
How long has the name January been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked January since 1951 -- 75 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to January? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Janet, Janice, Jane, Janie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with January's data
- January's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,000 total births); usage has since declined to 91 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Januarys (161 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 January
Nearby Names Like January
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to January
Janet Girl
#2435 556,776 births
Janice Girl
#2250 406,448 births
Jane Girl
#269 379,876 births
Janie Girl
#1536 75,598 births
Janelle Girl
#776 56,881 births
Compare January side by side: January vs Janet January vs Janice January vs Jane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to January
Janora #9061
116 births · Peak 2021
Kristal #9063
12,079 births · Peak 1982
Digna #9060
502 births · Peak 1996
Saran #9064
651 births · Peak 1986
Kristyn #9059
8,830 births · Peak 1990
Angelic #9065
3,859 births · Peak 1992
Kieran #9058
1,605 births · Peak 2007
Meagan #9066
41,547 births · Peak 1990
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, 1951–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "January: #9062 Girls' Name - 2,170 Births, Peak 1978." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/january. 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 January 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.