Total births
24,440
Boys' name · since 1880
Jefferson
Jefferson has 24,440 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #710
- among boys today
- 24,440
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
24,440 babies have been named Jefferson since 1880, making it today's #710 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Jefferson recorded 24,440 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #710 nationally today, ahead of 95% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #710 among boys today
- 24,440 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jefferson is currently the #710 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 24,440 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #710
- among boys today
- 24,440
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Jefferson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#710
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Jefferson was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
444 babies were named Jefferson in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Jefferson compares
24,440 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Jefferson's all-time total is 67x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jefferson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 24,440 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 444 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jefferson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jefferson splits its recorded history at 1953: 76% of all births land in the more recent half, 24% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1899 (11 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 444 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jefferson at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2009
Current rank
#710
Active since
1880
Jefferson popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 444
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Jefferson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Jefferson's strongest decade.
3,789 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Jefferson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 355
1880s
355 births
- 1890s 291
1890s
291 births
- 1900s 244
1900s
244 births
- 1910s 1,039
1910s
1,039 births
- 1920s 1,429
1920s
1,429 births
- 1930s 908
1930s
908 births
- 1940s 1,142
1940s
1,142 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,738 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,017 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,165 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,638 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,359 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,268 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,789 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,058 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 3,789 births (16% of all-time use).
How Jefferson 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 Jefferson's total volume
Jefferson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jefferson by state
Where Jefferson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,144 | 8.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,976 | 8.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,585 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 1,346 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,331 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 1,015 | 4.2% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 965 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Maryland | | 648 | 2.7% |
California share of Jefferson's total US births 8.8%
Even split
2,144 of 24,440 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Jefferson appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jefferson? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 24,440 babies named Jefferson. Today it holds rank #710 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2009, with 444 births.
When was Jefferson most popular? ▼
Jefferson was most popular in the 2010s decade with 3,789 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Jefferson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jefferson are California (2,144 births), Texas (1,976 births), New York (1,585 births).
How long has the name Jefferson been used? ▼
Records for Jefferson go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Jefferson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jeffrey, Jeffery, Jeff, Jeffry, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jefferson's data
- Jefferson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (3,789 total births) through the 2020s (2,058) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Jeffersons (2,144 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 Jefferson
Nearby Names Like Jefferson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jefferson
Jeffrey Boy
#521 979,601 births
Jeffery Boy
#1295 230,549 births
Jeff Boy
#2915 120,239 births
Jeffry Boy
#6521 15,400 births
Jefferey Boy
3,973 births
Compare Jefferson side by side: Jefferson vs Jeffrey Jefferson vs Jeffery Jefferson vs Jeff
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jefferson
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jefferson: #710 Boys' Name - 24,440 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jefferson. 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 Jefferson 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.