Total births
592,512
Boys' name · since 1880
Jose
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 592,512 babies named Jose, peaking in 2002. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #91
- among boys today
- 592,512
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other boys
Jose currently ranks #91 among boys' names in America, with 592,512 babies recorded since 1880.
Jose has 592,512 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #91 as of the latest data, more common than 99.4% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #91 among boys today
- 592,512 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 99.4% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jose is currently the #91 boys' name in America, more common than 99.4% of boys - 592,512 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #91
- among boys today
- 592,512
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other boys
Jose vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#91
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.4% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Jose was born in this single decade.
2002
Single peak year
12,868 babies were named Jose in 2002 - its busiest year on record.
How Jose compares
592,512 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
Jose's all-time total is 1,614x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jose | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 592,512 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 12,868 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jose's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jose splits its recorded history at 1953: 90% of all births land in the more recent half, 10% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1883 (74 births) -- compare that against the 2002 peak of 12,868 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jose at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2002
Current rank
#91
Active since
1880
Jose popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2002)
- 12,868
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Jose popularity over time - girls
4,220 total births recorded since 1891 (Jose as girls' name)
Jose by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Jose's strongest decade.
119,042 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Jose births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 910
1880s
910 births
- 1890s 947
1890s
947 births
- 1900s 1,627
1900s
1,627 births
- 1910s 5,899
1910s
5,899 births
- 1920s 14,447
1920s
14,447 births
- 1930s 12,298
1930s
12,298 births
- 1940s 16,818
1940s
16,818 births
- 1950s 31,440
1950s
31,440 births
- 1960s 42,043
1960s
42,043 births
- 1970s
1970s
66,390 births
- 1980s
1980s
86,647 births
- 1990s
1990s
119,042 births
- 2000s
2000s
115,743 births
- 2010s
2010s
55,186 births
- 2020s 23,075
2020s
23,075 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 119,042 births (20% of all-time use).
How Jose 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 Jose's total volume
Jose vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jose by state
Where Jose concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 170,769 | 28.8% |
| #2 | California | | 167,241 | 28.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 46,285 | 7.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 25,902 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 22,202 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Florida | | 21,394 | 3.6% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 13,483 | 2.3% |
| #8 | New Mexico | | 12,318 | 2.1% |
Texas share of Jose's total US births 28.8%
Even split
170,769 of 592,512 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Jose appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jose? ▼
Jose has been given to 592,512 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #91 as of the latest data. 12,868 babies were born in 2002, its single highest year.
When was Jose most popular? ▼
Jose was most popular in the 1990s decade with 119,042 total births. The single peak year was 2002.
Where is Jose most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jose are Texas (170,769 births), California (167,241 births), New York (46,285 births).
How long has the name Jose been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Jose since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Jose? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joseph, Joshua, Josiah, Josue, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jose's data
- Jose's decade-level peak was the 1990s (119,042 total births); usage has since declined to 23,075 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Joses (170,769 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Jose
Nearby Names Like Jose
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jose
Joseph Boy
#32 2,669,490 births
Joshua Boy
#57 1,248,929 births
Josiah Boy
#53 148,958 births
Josue Boy
#294 57,689 births
Josh Boy
#1736 17,288 births
Compare Jose side by side: Jose vs Joseph Jose vs Joshua Jose vs Josiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jose
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. "Jose: #91 Boys' Name - 592,512 Births, Peak 2002." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jose. 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 Jose 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.