Boys' name · since 1880

Lincoln

Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 104,918 babies named Lincoln, peaking in 2017. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#304 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#69 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
104,918
born since 1880
2010s
peak decade

Lincoln currently ranks #69 among boys' names in America, with 104,918 babies recorded since 1880.

Social Security Administration records show Lincoln recorded 104,918 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #69 nationally today, ahead of 99.5% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.

  • #304 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #69 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 104,918 born since 1880
  • 2010s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lincoln ranks #304 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #69 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 104,918 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.

#304 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#69 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
104,918
born since 1880
2010s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%99.5%
Lincoln vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Lincoln's 104,918 recorded births place it above 99.33% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

51 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.

How Lincoln compares

104,918 Top 3% higher than 97% 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

Lincoln's all-time total is 284x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Lincoln Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 104,918 369 358,536
Peak-year births 8,202 34 22,252

Lincoln's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Lincoln's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 96% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 4%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2017 peak of 8,202, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Lincoln popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025

Top 100 boys' name
Peak year (2017)
8,202
Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
02,0004,0006,0008,00010,000 188019001919193819571976199520142025 4,703

Lincoln popularity over time - girls

2,050 total births recorded since 1985 (Lincoln as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 2,050 births
0100200300 19851992200020052010201520202025 75

Lincoln by decade

2010s is the heaviest window (52,017 births, 50% of the file).

2010s was Lincoln's strongest decade.

52,017 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.

Lincoln births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2010s at 52,017 births (50% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Lincoln 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 Lincoln's total volume

Lincoln vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8%10% 80100120140160 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -146, 1.9%-146, 4.2%-144, 5.9%-127, 3.9%-146, 2.5%-90, 5.7%-146, 1.9%-146, 7.3%-146, 3%-146, 3.5%-146, 2.7%-146, 8.3%-146, 2.3%-146, 1.8%-109, 2.4%Lincoln-146, 7.8%Lincoln
Lincoln vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Lincoln by state

Where Lincoln concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Lincoln
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Texas
7,192 6.9%
#2 California
6,969 6.6%
#3 Ohio
6,169 5.9%
#4 Michigan
4,322 4.1%
#5 Pennsylvania
4,277 4.1%
#6 Florida
3,944 3.8%
#7 Indiana
3,827 3.6%
#8 New York
3,709 3.5%
Texas share of Lincoln's total US births 6.9%
Even split

7,192 of 104,918 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.

Lincoln appears in 51 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Lincoln?
Since 1880, Social Security records show 104,918 babies named Lincoln. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #304 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. In 2025, it holds #69 of 13,930 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2017, with 8,202 births.
Where does Lincoln sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lincoln ranks #304 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #69 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Lincoln most popular?
Lincoln was most popular in the 2010s decade with 52,017 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Lincoln most popular?
The top states for the name Lincoln are Texas (7,192 births), California (6,969 births), Ohio (6,169 births).
How long has the name Lincoln been used?
Records for Lincoln go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lincoln?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Linwood, Lindsey, Linus, Lindsay, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Lincoln's data

  • Lincoln's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (52,017 total births) through the 2020s (33,535) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
  • Texas records the most Lincolns (7,192 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Lincoln

Nearby Names Like Lincoln

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lincoln

Names with a similar popularity rank to Lincoln

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Lincoln: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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 Lincoln 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.