Total births
33,967
Boys' name · since 1882
Lamar
Since 1882, U.S. Social Security records show 33,967 babies named Lamar, peaking in 1989. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1495
- among boys today
- 33,967
- born since 1882
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Lamar is the #1495 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 33,967 recorded since 1882.
Lamar has 33,967 recorded births among boys since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1495 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1495 among boys today
- 33,967 born since 1882
- 1980s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lamar is currently the #1495 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 33,967 born since 1882, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1495
- among boys today
- 33,967
- born since 1882
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Lamar vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1495
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Lamar was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
737 babies were named Lamar in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Lamar compares
33,967 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Lamar's all-time total is 93x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lamar | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 33,967 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 737 | 23 | 22,252 |
Lamar's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lamar's full recorded timeline at 1956, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1989 peak of 737 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lamar at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#1,495
Active since
1882
Lamar popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 737
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Lamar popularity over time - girls
1,284 total births recorded since 1911 (Lamar as girls' name)
Lamar by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Lamar's strongest decade.
6,064 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Lamar births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 33
1880s
33 births
- 1890s 94
1890s
94 births
- 1900s 163
1900s
163 births
- 1910s 1,071
1910s
1,071 births
- 1920s 2,125
1920s
2,125 births
- 1930s 2,193
1930s
2,193 births
- 1940s 2,360
1940s
2,360 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,764 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,606 births
- 1970s
1970s
4,137 births
- 1980s
1980s
6,064 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,944 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,900 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,668 births
- 2020s 845
2020s
845 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 6,064 births (18% of all-time use).
How Lamar 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 Lamar's total volume
Lamar vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lamar by state
Where Lamar concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 3,857 | 11.4% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 2,556 | 7.5% |
| #3 | California | | 1,976 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Florida | | 1,934 | 5.7% |
| #5 | New York | | 1,820 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 1,760 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 1,694 | 5.0% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 1,616 | 4.8% |
Georgia share of Lamar's total US births 11.4%
Even split
3,857 of 33,967 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Lamar appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lamar? ▼
Since 1882, Social Security records show 33,967 babies named Lamar. Today it holds rank #1495 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1989, with 737 births.
When was Lamar most popular? ▼
Lamar was most popular in the 1980s decade with 6,064 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Lamar most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lamar are Georgia (3,857 births), Pennsylvania (2,556 births), California (1,976 births).
How long has the name Lamar been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lamar since 1882 -- 144 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lamar? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lamont, Lambert, Lamonte, Lamarcus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lamar's data
- Lamar's decade-level peak was the 1980s (6,064 total births); usage has since declined to 845 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Lamars (3,857 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Lamar
Nearby Names Like Lamar
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lamar
Lamont Boy
#2600 24,024 births
Lambert Boy
#9003 3,515 births
Lamonte Boy
#5688 3,417 births
Lamarcus Boy
#6920 3,008 births
Lamarr Boy
#11056 2,896 births
Compare Lamar side by side: Lamar vs Lamont Lamar vs Lambert Lamar vs Lamonte
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lamar
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lamar: #1495 Boys' Name - 33,967 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lamar. 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 Lamar 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.