Boys' name · since 1880
Lafe
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 696 babies named Lafe, peaking in 1884. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6,472 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,022 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 696
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Lafe is the #12022 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 696 recorded since 1880.
Lafe has 696 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12022 as of the latest data, more common than 14% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- 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.
- #6,472 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,022 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 696 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lafe ranks #6,472 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,022 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 696 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6,472 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,022 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 696
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Lafe's 696 recorded births place it above 85.76% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Kentucky.
How Lafe compares
696 Top 38% higher than 62% of 13,930 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
Lafe's all-time total is 89% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lafe | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 696 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 17 | 34 | 22,252 |
Lafe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lafe's full recorded timeline at 1951, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1895, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1884 peak of 17 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lafe popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1884)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lafe by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (87 births, 13% of the file).
1920s was Lafe's strongest decade.
87 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Lafe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
54 births
- 1890s 16
1890s
16 births
- 1900s 12
1900s
12 births
- 1910s
1910s
76 births
- 1920s
1920s
87 births
- 1930s
1930s
57 births
- 1940s
1940s
49 births
- 1950s
1950s
53 births
- 1960s
1960s
61 births
- 1970s
1970s
68 births
- 1980s
1980s
76 births
- 1990s 22
1990s
22 births
- 2000s 27
2000s
27 births
- 2010s 27
2010s
27 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 87 births (13% of all-time use).
How Lafe 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 Lafe's total volume
Lafe by state
Where Lafe concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.7% |
5 of 696 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lafe? ▼
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When was Lafe most popular? ▼
Where is Lafe most popular? ▼
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What to do with Lafe's data
- Lafe's decade-level peak was the 1920s (87 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Lafes (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lafe
Nearby Names Like Lafe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lafe
Compare Lafe side by side: Lafe vs Lafayette Lafe vs Lafrance Lafe vs Lafredrick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lafe
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lafe: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1884)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Lafe 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.