Unisex name · since 1914
Lanier
1,063 babies named Lanier in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 1952. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4,935 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,101 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,063
- born since 1914
- 1940s
- peak decade
1,063 babies have been named Lanier since 1914, making it today's #12101 unisex name.
Lanier has 1,063 recorded births among boys since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12101 as of the latest data, more common than 13% of boys, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #4,935 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,101 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,063 born since 1914
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lanier ranks #4,935 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,101 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,063 born since 1914, peaking in the 1940s.
- #4,935 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,101 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,063
- born since 1914
- 1940s
- peak decade
Lanier's 1,063 recorded births place it above 89.14% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by Georgia.
How Lanier compares
1,063 Top 31% higher than 69% 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
Lanier's all-time total is 188% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lanier | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,063 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 34 | 22,252 |
Lanier's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lanier's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 45% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 55%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1916, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1952 peak of 19, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lanier popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Lanier popularity over time - girls
154 total births recorded since 1924 (Lanier as girls' name)
Lanier by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (130 births, 12% of the file).
1940s was Lanier's strongest decade.
130 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Lanier births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 35
1910s
35 births
- 1920s
1920s
113 births
- 1930s
1930s
90 births
- 1940s
1940s
130 births
- 1950s
1950s
114 births
- 1960s
1960s
105 births
- 1970s
1970s
117 births
- 1980s
1980s
103 births
- 1990s
1990s
85 births
- 2000s
2000s
53 births
- 2010s
2010s
70 births
- 2020s 48
2020s
48 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 130 births (12% of all-time use).
How Lanier 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 Lanier's total volume
Lanier by state
Where Lanier concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 66 | 6.2% |
| #2 | California | | 5 | 0.5% |
66 of 1,063 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Lanier's data
- Lanier's usage has stayed within range of its 1940s decade-level peak (130 total births) through the 2020s (48) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Georgia records the most Laniers (66 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lanier
Nearby Names Like Lanier
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lanier
Compare Lanier side by side: Lanier vs Landon Lanier vs Lance Lanier vs Lane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lanier
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lanier: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1952)
Similar record span (~111 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, 1914–2025 (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 Lanier 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.