Total births
5,182,633
Boys' name · since 1880
John
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 5,182,633 babies named John, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #21
- among boys today
- 5,182,633
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
5,182,633 babies have been named John since 1880, making it today's #21 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, John has been recorded 5,182,633 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #21 nationally and more common than 99.9% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. 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.
- #21 among boys today
- 5,182,633 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
John is currently the #21 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 5,182,633 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #21
- among boys today
- 5,182,633
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
John vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#21
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named John was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
88,324 babies were named John in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How John compares
5,182,633 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
John's all-time total is 14,122x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | John | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,182,633 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 88,324 | 23 | 22,252 |
John's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
John splits its recorded history at 1953: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1901 (6,900 births) -- compare that against the 1947 peak of 88,324 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
John at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#21
Active since
1880
John popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 88,324
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
John popularity over time - girls
21,744 total births recorded since 1880 (John as girls' name)
John by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was John's strongest decade.
797,922 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
John births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 89,949
1880s
89,949 births
- 1890s 80,664
1890s
80,664 births
- 1900s 84,590
1900s
84,590 births
- 1910s
1910s
376,311 births
- 1920s
1920s
564,052 births
- 1930s
1930s
487,950 births
- 1940s
1940s
711,614 births
- 1950s
1950s
797,922 births
- 1960s
1960s
713,394 births
- 1970s
1970s
402,612 births
- 1980s
1980s
321,150 births
- 1990s 240,151
1990s
240,151 births
- 2000s 161,104
2000s
161,104 births
- 2010s 102,800
2010s
102,800 births
- 2020s 48,370
2020s
48,370 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 797,922 births (15% of all-time use).
How John 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 John's total volume
John vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
John by state
Where John concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 499,164 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 422,027 | 8.1% |
| #3 | California | | 316,948 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 275,051 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 254,372 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Texas | | 244,549 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 200,990 | 3.9% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 198,618 | 3.8% |
New York share of John's total US births 9.6%
Even split
499,164 of 5,182,633 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
John appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name John? ▼
John has been given to 5,182,633 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #21 as of the latest data. 88,324 babies were born in 1947, its single highest year.
When was John most popular? ▼
John was most popular in the 1950s decade with 797,922 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is John most popular? ▼
The top states for the name John are New York (499,164 births), Pennsylvania (422,027 births), California (316,948 births).
How long has the name John been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked John since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to John? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Johnny, Johnnie, Johnathan, Johnathon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with John's data
- John's decade-level peak was the 1950s (797,922 total births); usage has since declined to 48,370 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Johns (499,164 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 John
Nearby Names Like John
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to John
Johnny Boy
#456 317,918 births
Johnnie Boy
#2313 102,099 births
Johnathan Boy
#513 98,262 births
Johnathon Boy
#2083 25,600 births
Johnie Boy
20,930 births
Compare John side by side: John vs Johnny John vs Johnnie John vs Johnathan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to John
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. "John: #21 Boys' Name - 5,182,633 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/john. 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 John 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.