Total births
20,882
Unisex name · since 1981
Journey
20,882 babies named Journey in U.S. Social Security records since 1981, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #320
- among girls today
- 20,882
- born since 1981
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Journey is the #320 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 20,882 recorded since 1981.
Journey has 20,882 recorded births among girls since 1981, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #320 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 2025.
- #320 among girls today
- 20,882 born since 1981
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Journey is currently the #320 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 20,882 born since 1981, peaking in the 2010s.
- #320
- among girls today
- 20,882
- born since 1981
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Journey vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#320
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
52% of everyone ever named Journey was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
1,397 babies were named Journey in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Journey compares
20,882 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Journey's all-time total is 55x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Journey | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,882 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,397 | 48 | 19,840 |
Journey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Journey's SSA record in two at 2004 and the more recent half accounts for 93% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 7%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1983, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2018 peak of 1,397, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Journey at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2018
Current rank
#320
Active since
1981
Journey popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 1,397
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Journey popularity over time - boys
2,011 total births recorded since 1983 (Journey as boys' name)
Journey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Journey's strongest decade.
10,903 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Journey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 62
1980s
62 births
- 1990s 566
1990s
566 births
- 2000s 3,402
2000s
3,402 births
- 2010s
2010s
10,903 births
- 2020s
2020s
5,949 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 10,903 births (52% of all-time use).
How Journey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Journey's total volume
Journey vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Journey by state
Where Journey concentrates geographically, total births since 1981
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,998 | 9.6% |
| #2 | California | | 1,406 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 1,283 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 1,230 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 958 | 4.6% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 924 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 740 | 3.5% |
| #8 | New York | | 739 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Journey's total US births 9.6%
Even split
1,998 of 20,882 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Journey appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Journey? ▼
Since 1981, Social Security records show 20,882 babies named Journey. Today it holds rank #320 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2018, with 1,397 births.
When was Journey most popular? ▼
Journey was most popular in the 2010s decade with 10,903 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Journey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Journey are Texas (1,998 births), California (1,406 births), Georgia (1,283 births).
Is Journey a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Journey is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 20,882 births, and as a boy's name it has 2,011 births.
How long has the name Journey been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Journey since 1981 -- 45 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Journey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Journee, Journi, Journie, Jourdan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Journey's data
- Journey's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (10,903 total births) through the 2020s (5,949) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Journeys (1,998 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 Journey
Nearby Names Like Journey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Journey
Journee Girl
#217 18,152 births
Journi Girl
#621 5,060 births
Journie Girl
#1435 2,712 births
Jourdan Girl
#12514 2,324 births
Journei Girl
#1490 2,301 births
Compare Journey side by side: Journey vs Journee Journey vs Journi Journey vs Journie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Journey
Nayeli #319
24,651 births · Peak 2001
Nina #321
133,788 births · Peak 1980
Nicole #318
594,500 births · Peak 1985
Catherine #322
667,789 births · Peak 1956
Hope #317
97,225 births · Peak 2000
Camilla #323
30,276 births · Peak 2019
Fatima #316
38,945 births · Peak 2006
Adriana #324
96,392 births · Peak 2006
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, 1981–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Journey: #320 Unisex Name - 20,882 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/journey. 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 Journey 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.