Total births
68,067
Boys' name · since 1880
Kirk
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 68,067 babies named Kirk, peaking in 1962. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2560
- among boys today
- 68,067
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Kirk currently ranks #2560 among boys' names in America, with 68,067 babies recorded since 1880.
Kirk has 68,067 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2560 as of the latest data, more common than 82% of boys, busiest in the 1960s -- 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.
- #2560 among boys today
- 68,067 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 82% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kirk is currently the #2560 boys' name in America, more common than 82% of boys - 68,067 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2560
- among boys today
- 68,067
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Kirk vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2560
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 82% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Kirk was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
2,560 babies were named Kirk in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
How Kirk compares
68,067 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Kirk's all-time total is 185x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kirk | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 68,067 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,560 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kirk's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kirk splits its recorded history at 1958: 77% of all births land in the more recent half, 23% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1890 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1962 peak of 2,560 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kirk at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1962
Current rank
#2,560
Active since
1880
Kirk popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 2,560
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Kirk popularity over time - girls
197 total births recorded since 1952 (Kirk as girls' name)
Kirk by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kirk's strongest decade.
22,204 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Kirk births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 40
1880s
40 births
- 1890s 48
1890s
48 births
- 1900s 68
1900s
68 births
- 1910s 284
1910s
284 births
- 1920s 387
1920s
387 births
- 1930s 584
1930s
584 births
- 1940s 2,755
1940s
2,755 births
- 1950s
1950s
16,223 births
- 1960s
1960s
22,204 births
- 1970s
1970s
11,641 births
- 1980s 7,186
1980s
7,186 births
- 1990s 3,960
1990s
3,960 births
- 2000s 1,418
2000s
1,418 births
- 2010s 924
2010s
924 births
- 2020s 345
2020s
345 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 22,204 births (33% of all-time use).
How Kirk 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 Kirk's total volume
Kirk vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kirk by state
Where Kirk concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 8,266 | 12.1% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 4,749 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 3,813 | 5.6% |
| #4 | New York | | 3,646 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 3,384 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 3,260 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 2,981 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 2,125 | 3.1% |
California share of Kirk's total US births 12.1%
Even split
8,266 of 68,067 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kirk appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kirk? ▼
Kirk has been given to 68,067 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2560 as of the latest data. 2,560 babies were born in 1962, its single highest year.
When was Kirk most popular? ▼
Kirk was most popular in the 1960s decade with 22,204 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Kirk most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kirk are California (8,266 births), Michigan (4,749 births), Texas (3,813 births).
How long has the name Kirk been used? ▼
Kirk has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kirk? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kirby, Kirt, Kiran, Kirkland, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kirk's data
- Kirk's decade-level peak was the 1960s (22,204 total births); usage has since declined to 345 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kirks (8,266 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Kirk
Nearby Names Like Kirk
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kirk
Kirby Boy
#2562 14,532 births
Kirt Boy
3,615 births
Kiran Boy
#1347 3,165 births
Kirkland Boy
#7818 2,160 births
Kirin Boy
#3139 570 births
Compare Kirk side by side: Kirk vs Kirby Kirk vs Kirt Kirk vs Kiran
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kirk
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. "Kirk: #2560 Boys' Name - 68,067 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kirk. 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 Kirk 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.