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.
- #4,465 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,229 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,170
- born since 1951
- 1970s
- peak decade
Yes -- January is the #10229 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 #10229 nationally today, ahead of 41% 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.
- #4,465 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #10,229 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 2,170 born since 1951
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, January ranks #4,465 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,229 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 2,170 born since 1951, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4,465 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,229 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,170
- born since 1951
- 1970s
- peak decade
January's 2,170 recorded births place it above 93.82% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
27 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How January compares
2,170 Top 22% higher than 78% of 17,297 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 (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,170 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 257 | 21 | 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 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
1970s is the heaviest window (1,000 births, 46% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does January sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was January most popular? ▼
Where is January most popular? ▼
How long has the name January been used? ▼
What names are similar to January? ▼
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
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
Compare January side by side: January vs Janet January vs Janice January vs Jane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to January
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for January: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1978)
Similar record span (~74 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, 1951–2025 (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 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 August 2026.