Unisex name · since 1914
Key
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 166 babies named Key, peaking in 1993. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #14,099 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 166
- born since 1914
- 1990s
- peak decade
Key sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 166 recorded since 1914.
Key has 166 recorded births among boys since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, 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 1914 to 2024.
- #14,099 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 166 born since 1914
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Key ranks #14,099 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 166 born since 1914, peaking in the 1990s.
- #14,099 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 166
- born since 1914
- 1990s
- peak decade
Key's 166 recorded births place it above 68.95% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Key's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Key's full recorded timeline at 1993, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1914, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1993 peak of 12 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Key popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2024
- Peak year (1993)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Key popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1970 (Key as girls' name)
Key by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (52 births, 31% of the file).
1990s was Key's strongest decade.
52 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Key births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 10
1910s
10 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 12
1960s
12 births
- 1970s 19
1970s
19 births
- 1980s 16
1980s
16 births
- 1990s
1990s
52 births
- 2000s 17
2000s
17 births
- 2010s 15
2010s
15 births
- 2020s 15
2020s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 52 births (31% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Key? ▼
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What to do with Key's data
- Key's decade-level peak was the 1990s (52 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Key
Nearby Names Like Key
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Key
Compare Key side by side: Key vs Keyon Key vs Keyshawn Key vs Keyan
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Key: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1993)
Similar record span (~110 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1914–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Key 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 August 2026.