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.
- #751 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #829 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 24,440
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
24,440 babies have been named Jefferson since 1880, making it today's #829 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Jefferson recorded 24,440 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #829 nationally today, ahead of 94% 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.
- #751 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #829 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 24,440 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jefferson ranks #751 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #829 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 24,440 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #751 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #829 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 24,440
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Jefferson's 24,440 recorded births place it above 98.34% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
42 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Jefferson compares
24,440 Top 6% higher than 94% of 13,930 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 66x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jefferson | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 24,440 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 444 | 34 | 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 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
Currently ranks #829 among boys.
24,440 total births across 146 years of SSA records. Peaked in 2009 with 444 births in a single year.
Jefferson by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (3,789 births, 16% of the file).
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).
Jefferson decade highlights
- Peak decade 3,789 births
- Runner-up 3,268 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
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 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% |
2,144 of 24,440 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- California 8.8% of nationwide
- Texas 8.1% of nationwide
- New York 6.5% of nationwide
- Florida 5.5% of nationwide
- Georgia 5.4% of nationwide
Recorded in 42 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
California accounts for 8.8% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Jefferson appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Jefferson side by side: Jefferson vs Jeffrey Jefferson vs Jeffery Jefferson vs Jeff
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jefferson
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Jefferson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2009)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 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 August 2026.
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