Boys' name · since 1916
Linville
407 babies named Linville in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 1942. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8,923 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 407
- born since 1916
- 1940s
- peak decade
Linville sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 407 recorded since 1916.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Linville has been recorded 407 times among boys since 1916, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 1980.
- #8,923 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 407 born since 1916
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Linville ranks #8,923 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 407 born since 1916, peaking in the 1940s.
- #8,923 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 407
- born since 1916
- 1940s
- peak decade
Linville's 407 recorded births place it above 80.35% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Kentucky.
Linville's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Linville's SSA record in two at 1940 and the more recent half accounts for 51% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 49%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1917, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1942 peak of 19, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Linville popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1980
- Peak year (1942)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 65 years of records
Linville by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (109 births, 27% of the file).
1940s was Linville's strongest decade.
109 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Linville births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 28
1910s
28 births
- 1920s
1920s
97 births
- 1930s
1930s
73 births
- 1940s
1940s
109 births
- 1950s
1950s
66 births
- 1960s 23
1960s
23 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 109 births (27% of all-time use).
Linville by state
Where Linville concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 107 | 26.3% |
107 of 407 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Linville's data
- Linville's decade-level peak was the 1940s (109 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Linvilles (107 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 Linville
Nearby Names Like Linville
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Linville
Compare Linville side by side: Linville vs Lincoln Linville vs Linwood Linville vs Lindsey
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Linville: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1942)
Similar record span (~64 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, 1916–1980 (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 Linville 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.