Total births
8,945
Boys' name · since 1913
Jed
Since 1913, U.S. Social Security records show 8,945 babies named Jed, peaking in 1978. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1985
- among boys today
- 8,945
- born since 1913
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Jed currently ranks #1985 among boys' names in America, with 8,945 babies recorded since 1913.
Jed has 8,945 recorded births among boys since 1913, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1985 as of the latest data, more common than 86% of boys, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #1985 among boys today
- 8,945 born since 1913
- 1970s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jed is currently the #1985 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 8,945 born since 1913, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1985
- among boys today
- 8,945
- born since 1913
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Jed vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1985
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Jed was born in this single decade.
1978
Single peak year
282 babies were named Jed in 1978 - its busiest year on record.
How Jed compares
8,945 Top 9% higher than 91% of 14,294 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
Jed's all-time total is 24x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jed | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,945 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 282 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jed's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jed splits its recorded history at 1971: 69% of all births land in the more recent half, 31% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1913 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1978 peak of 282 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jed at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1978
Current rank
#1,985
Active since
1913
Jed popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (1978)
- 282
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Jed by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Jed's strongest decade.
1,950 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Jed births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 44
1910s
44 births
- 1920s 68
1920s
68 births
- 1930s 139
1930s
139 births
- 1940s 299
1940s
299 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,084 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,065 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,950 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,579 births
- 1990s
1990s
812 births
- 2000s 716
2000s
716 births
- 2010s 693
2010s
693 births
- 2020s 496
2020s
496 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,950 births (22% of all-time use).
How Jed 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 Jed's total volume
Jed vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jed by state
Where Jed concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 671 | 7.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 671 | 7.5% |
| #3 | Utah | | 596 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Texas | | 334 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 264 | 3.0% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 218 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 213 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 186 | 2.1% |
California share of Jed's total US births 7.5%
Even split
671 of 8,945 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Jed appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jed? ▼
8,945 babies have been named Jed since 1913. It currently ranks #1985 among boys. The peak year was 1978 with 282 births.
When was Jed most popular? ▼
Jed was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,950 total births. The single peak year was 1978.
Where is Jed most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jed are California (671 births), New York (671 births), Utah (596 births).
How long has the name Jed been used? ▼
Records for Jed go back to 1913, giving 113 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Jed? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jedidiah, Jedediah, Jediah, Jedd, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jed's data
- Jed's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,950 total births); usage has since declined to 496 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Jeds (671 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 Jed
Nearby Names Like Jed
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jed
Jedidiah Boy
#803 9,316 births
Jedediah Boy
#2732 3,298 births
Jediah Boy
#4248 901 births
Jedd Boy
#5107 900 births
Jedadiah Boy
537 births
Compare Jed side by side: Jed vs Jedidiah Jed vs Jedediah Jed vs Jediah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jed
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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jed: #1985 Boys' Name - 8,945 Births, Peak 1978." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jed. 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 Jed 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.