Total births
1,221
Boys' name · since 1980
Kush
Since 1980, U.S. Social Security records show 1,221 babies named Kush, peaking in 2005. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4637
- among boys today
- 1,221
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
1,221 babies have been named Kush since 1980, making it today's #4637 boys' name.
Kush has 1,221 recorded births among boys since 1980, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4637 as of the latest data, more common than 68% 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 1980 to 2025.
- #4637 among boys today
- 1,221 born since 1980
- 2000s peak decade
- 68% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kush is currently the #4637 boys' name in America, more common than 68% of boys - 1,221 born since 1980, peaking in the 2000s.
- #4637
- among boys today
- 1,221
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Kush vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4637
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 68% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Kush was born in this single decade.
2005
Single peak year
65 babies were named Kush in 2005 - its busiest year on record.
How Kush compares
1,221 Top 28% higher than 72% 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
Kush's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kush | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,221 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 65 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kush's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kush's full recorded timeline at 2004, 59% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 41% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1988, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2005 peak of 65 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kush at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2005
Current rank
#4,637
Active since
1980
Kush popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2025
- Peak year (2005)
- 65
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Kush by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kush's strongest decade.
484 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Kush births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 49
1980s
49 births
- 1990s
1990s
266 births
- 2000s
2000s
484 births
- 2010s
2010s
307 births
- 2020s 115
2020s
115 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 484 births (40% of all-time use).
How Kush 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 Kush's total volume
Kush vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kush by state
Where Kush concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Jersey | | 146 | 12.0% |
| #2 | California | | 72 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 58 | 4.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 39 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Texas | | 38 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Florida | | 5 | 0.4% |
New Jersey share of Kush's total US births 12.0%
Even split
146 of 1,221 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Kush appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kush? ▼
Kush has been given to 1,221 babies in the U.S. since 1980, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4637 as of the latest data. 65 babies were born in 2005, its single highest year.
When was Kush most popular? ▼
Kush was most popular in the 2000s decade with 484 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
Where is Kush most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kush are New Jersey (146 births), California (72 births), Illinois (58 births).
How long has the name Kush been used? ▼
Kush has been recorded in Social Security data since 1980, spanning 46 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kush? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kushal, Kushagra, Kushtrim. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kush's data
- Kush's decade-level peak was the 2000s (484 total births); usage has since declined to 115 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New Jersey records the most Kushs (146 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New Jersey 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 Kush
Nearby Names Like Kush
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kush
Compare Kush side by side: Kush vs Kushal Kush vs Kushagra Kush vs Kushtrim
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kush
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, 1980–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kush: #4637 Boys' Name - 1,221 Births, Peak 2005." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kush. 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 Kush 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.