Total births
244,281
Boys' name · since 1880
Jesus
Jesus has 244,281 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2004 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #164
- among boys today
- 244,281
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
244,281 babies have been named Jesus since 1880, making it today's #164 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jesus has been recorded 244,281 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #164 nationally and more common than 99% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #164 among boys today
- 244,281 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 99% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jesus is currently the #164 boys' name in America, more common than 99% of boys - 244,281 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #164
- among boys today
- 244,281
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Jesus vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#164
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Jesus was born in this single decade.
2004
Single peak year
6,472 babies were named Jesus in 2004 - its busiest year on record.
How Jesus compares
244,281 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Jesus's all-time total is 666x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jesus | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 244,281 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,472 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jesus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Jesus's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 90% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 10%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1891, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2004 peak of 6,472, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Jesus at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2004
Current rank
#164
Active since
1880
Jesus popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2004)
- 6,472
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Jesus popularity over time - girls
2,685 total births recorded since 1907 (Jesus as girls' name)
Jesus by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Jesus's strongest decade.
61,324 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Jesus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 133
1880s
133 births
- 1890s 142
1890s
142 births
- 1900s 453
1900s
453 births
- 1910s 2,239
1910s
2,239 births
- 1920s 6,578
1920s
6,578 births
- 1930s 5,480
1930s
5,480 births
- 1940s 6,316
1940s
6,316 births
- 1950s 8,352
1950s
8,352 births
- 1960s 10,894
1960s
10,894 births
- 1970s 18,807
1970s
18,807 births
- 1980s
1980s
27,400 births
- 1990s
1990s
49,129 births
- 2000s
2000s
61,324 births
- 2010s
2010s
33,796 births
- 2020s 13,238
2020s
13,238 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 61,324 births (25% of all-time use).
How Jesus 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 Jesus's total volume
Jesus vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jesus by state
Where Jesus concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 77,820 | 31.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 74,132 | 30.3% |
| #3 | Arizona | | 15,999 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 10,935 | 4.5% |
| #5 | New York | | 8,189 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Florida | | 6,707 | 2.7% |
| #7 | New Mexico | | 4,603 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Colorado | | 4,363 | 1.8% |
California share of Jesus's total US births 31.9%
Even split
77,820 of 244,281 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Jesus appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jesus? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 244,281 babies named Jesus. Today it holds rank #164 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2004, with 6,472 births.
When was Jesus most popular? ▼
Jesus was most popular in the 2000s decade with 61,324 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
Where is Jesus most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jesus are California (77,820 births), Texas (74,132 births), Arizona (15,999 births).
How long has the name Jesus been used? ▼
Jesus has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Jesus? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jesse, Jessie, Jess, Jessy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jesus's data
- Jesus's decade-level peak was the 2000s (61,324 total births); usage has since declined to 13,238 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Jesuss (77,820 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 Jesus
Nearby Names Like Jesus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jesus
Jesse Boy
#185 432,428 births
Jessie Boy
#1262 111,331 births
Jess Boy
#4571 25,063 births
Jessy Boy
#5089 4,670 births
Jesiah Boy
#804 4,394 births
Compare Jesus side by side: Jesus vs Jesse Jesus vs Jessie Jesus vs Jess
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jesus
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. "Jesus: #164 Boys' Name - 244,281 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jesus. 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 Jesus 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.