Boys' name · since 1880

Lon

Lon has 9,836 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1948 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

9,836
total births
1880–2022
years on record
1950s
peak decade
24%
born in that decade

Lon sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 9,836 recorded since 1880.

Lon has 9,836 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2022.

  • 9,836 total births
  • 1880–2022 years on record
  • 1950s peak decade
  • 24% born in that decade

Data updated Jun 2026

The verdict

9,836 boys have been named Lon since 1880, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2022.

9,836
total births
1880–2022
years on record
1950s
peak decade
24%
born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade

24% of everyone ever named Lon was born in this single decade.

1948
Single peak year

274 babies were named Lon in 1948 - its busiest year on record.

Lon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Lon's full recorded timeline at 1948, 63% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 37% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2007, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1948 peak of 274 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Lon at a glance

Last recorded 2022

Total births

9,836

Since 1880

143 years of records

Peak year

1948

274 births that year

Strongest decade: 1950s

Current rank

Unranked

Outside the modern top-1,000

As of 2022

Active since

1880

Recorded for 143 years

Last year on file: 2022

Lon popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2022

Last recorded 2022
Peak year (1948)
274
Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
-1000100200300 188018981916193419521970198820092022 5

Lon popularity over time - girls

20 total births recorded since 1924 (Lon as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 20 births
5 1924195919601968 5

Lon by decade

Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance

1950s was Lon's strongest decade.

2,396 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.

Lon births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1950s at 2,396 births (24% of all-time use).

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

How Lon 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 Lon's total volume

Lon vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Lon vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8% 050100150200 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 Lon
Lon vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Lon by state

Where Lon concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Lon
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
697 7.1%
#2 Texas
464 4.7%
#3 Michigan
380 3.9%
#4 Illinois
358 3.6%
#5 Ohio
319 3.2%
#6 New York
313 3.2%
#7 Pennsylvania
311 3.2%
#8 Minnesota
301 3.1%
California share of Lon's total US births 7.1%
Even split

697 of 9,836 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 39 reporting states.

Lon appears in 39 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Lon? ▼
Lon has been given to 9,836 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2022. 274 babies were born in 1948, its single highest year.
When was Lon most popular? ▼
Lon was most popular in the 1950s decade with 2,396 total births. The single peak year was 1948.
Where is Lon most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lon are California (697 births), Texas (464 births), Michigan (380 births).
How long has the name Lon been used? ▼
Lon has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 143 years of data through 2022.
What names are similar to Lon? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lonnie, London, Lonny, Lonzo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Lon's data

  • Lon's decade-level peak was the 1950s (2,396 total births); usage has since declined to 16 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • California records the most Lons (697 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Lon

Nearby Names Like Lon

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

Lonnie Boy
#1809 94,486 births
London Boy
#1205 10,324 births
Lonny Boy
#12524 6,357 births
Lonzo Boy
#5244 3,961 births
Long Boy
#3730 1,909 births

Compare Lon side by side: Lon vs Lonnie Lon vs London Lon vs Lonny

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Rolland #4705
9,868 births · Peak 1928
Kristofer #3464
9,791 births · Peak 1978
Adrien #1196
9,787 births · Peak 2009
Mckinley #4327
9,786 births · Peak 1920
Kole #1200
9,785 births · Peak 2009
Tristin #2940
9,785 births · Peak 1996
Unknown #2919
9,888 births · Peak 1954
Noble #1231
9,775 births · Peak 1920

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, 1880–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Cite this page

NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lon: Baby Name Since 1880 - 9,836 Births, Peak 1948." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lon. 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 Lon 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.