Total births
512
Boys' name · since 1914
Johnston
512 babies named Johnston in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 2007. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8373
- among boys today
- 512
- born since 1914
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other boys
Johnston currently ranks #8373 among boys' names in America, with 512 babies recorded since 1914.
Johnston has 512 recorded births among boys since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8373 as of the latest data, more common than 41% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #8373 among boys today
- 512 born since 1914
- 2000s peak decade
- 41% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Johnston is currently the #8373 boys' name in America, more common than 41% of boys - 512 born since 1914, peaking in the 2000s.
- #8373
- among boys today
- 512
- born since 1914
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other boys
Johnston vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8373
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 41% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Johnston was born in this single decade.
2007
Single peak year
18 babies were named Johnston in 2007 - its busiest year on record.
How Johnston compares
512 Top 43% higher than 57% 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
Johnston's all-time total is 40% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Johnston | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 512 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 18 | 23 | 22,252 |
Johnston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Johnston's SSA record in two at 1991 and the more recent half accounts for 57% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 43%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1915, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 18, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Johnston at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2007
Current rank
#8,373
Active since
1914
Johnston popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Johnston by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Johnston's strongest decade.
105 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Johnston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 31
1910s
31 births
- 1920s 33
1920s
33 births
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s 13
1940s
13 births
- 1950s 18
1950s
18 births
- 1960s 16
1960s
16 births
- 1970s 38
1970s
38 births
- 1980s
1980s
56 births
- 1990s
1990s
71 births
- 2000s
2000s
105 births
- 2010s
2010s
79 births
- 2020s
2020s
46 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 105 births (21% of all-time use).
How Johnston 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 Johnston's total volume
Johnston vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Johnston? ▼
512 babies have been named Johnston since 1914. It currently ranks #8373 among boys. The peak year was 2007 with 18 births.
When was Johnston most popular? ▼
Johnston was most popular in the 2000s decade with 105 total births. The single peak year was 2007.
How long has the name Johnston been used? ▼
Johnston has been recorded in Social Security data since 1914, spanning 112 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Johnston? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include John, Johnny, Johnnie, Johnathan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Johnston's data
- Johnston's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (105 total births) through the 2020s (46) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Johnston
Nearby Names Like Johnston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Johnston
John Boy
#21 5,182,633 births
Johnny Boy
#456 317,918 births
Johnnie Boy
#2313 102,099 births
Johnathan Boy
#513 98,262 births
Johnathon Boy
#2083 25,600 births
Compare Johnston side by side: Johnston vs John Johnston vs Johnny Johnston vs Johnnie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Johnston
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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Johnston: #8373 Boys' Name - 512 Births, Peak 2007." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/johnston. 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 Johnston 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.