Total births
3,955
Boys' name · since 1960
Kwame
3,955 babies named Kwame in U.S. Social Security records since 1960, with the highest year being 1990. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3299
- among boys today
- 3,955
- born since 1960
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
3,955 babies have been named Kwame since 1960, making it today's #3299 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kwame recorded 3,955 times among boys since 1960, holding rank #3299 nationally today, ahead of 77% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1960 to 2025.
- #3299 among boys today
- 3,955 born since 1960
- 1990s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Kwame is currently the #3299 boys' name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 3,955 born since 1960, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3299
- among boys today
- 3,955
- born since 1960
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Kwame vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3299
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Kwame was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
299 babies were named Kwame in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Kwame compares
3,955 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Kwame's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kwame | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,955 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 299 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kwame's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kwame's SSA record in two at 1993 and the more recent half accounts for 48% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 52%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1960, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 299, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kwame at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#3,299
Active since
1960
Kwame popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1960–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 299
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Kwame popularity over time - girls
38 total births recorded since 1971 (Kwame as girls' name)
Kwame by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kwame's strongest decade.
1,204 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Kwame births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 109
1960s
109 births
- 1970s
1970s
678 births
- 1980s
1980s
658 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,204 births
- 2000s
2000s
578 births
- 2010s 461
2010s
461 births
- 2020s 267
2020s
267 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,204 births (30% of all-time use).
How Kwame 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 Kwame's total volume
Kwame vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kwame by state
Where Kwame concentrates geographically, total births since 1960
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 657 | 16.6% |
| #2 | California | | 169 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 137 | 3.5% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 115 | 2.9% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 106 | 2.7% |
| #6 | Florida | | 105 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Maryland | | 86 | 2.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 85 | 2.1% |
New York share of Kwame's total US births 16.6%
Even split
657 of 3,955 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Kwame appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kwame? ▼
Since 1960, Social Security records show 3,955 babies named Kwame. Today it holds rank #3299 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1990, with 299 births.
When was Kwame most popular? ▼
Kwame was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,204 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Kwame most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kwame are New York (657 births), California (169 births), Georgia (137 births).
How long has the name Kwame been used? ▼
Records for Kwame go back to 1960, giving 66 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kwame? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kwabena, Kwasi, Kwan, Kwaku, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kwame's data
- Kwame's decade-level peak was the 1990s (1,204 total births); usage has since declined to 267 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kwames (657 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Kwame
Nearby Names Like Kwame
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kwame
Kwabena Boy
#5727 716 births
Kwasi Boy
#10105 709 births
Kwan Boy
537 births
Kwaku Boy
#9178 495 births
Kwadwo Boy
#7374 284 births
Compare Kwame side by side: Kwame vs Kwabena Kwame vs Kwasi Kwame vs Kwan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kwame
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1960–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kwame: #3299 Boys' Name - 3,955 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kwame. 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 Kwame 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 July 2026.