Girls' name · since 1880
Lydia
Lydia has 187,039 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2014 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #213 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #92 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 187,039
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Lydia is the #92 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 187,039 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Lydia recorded 187,039 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #92 nationally today, ahead of 99.5% of girls, 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.
- #213 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #92 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 187,039 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lydia ranks #213 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #92 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 187,039 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #213 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #92 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 187,039
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Lydia's 187,039 recorded births place it above 99.7% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Lydia compares
187,039 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Lydia's all-time total is 497x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lydia | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 187,039 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,652 | 21 | 19,840 |
Lydia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lydia's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 72% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 28%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 299 births recorded -- set against the 2014 peak of 3,652, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lydia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 3,652
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lydia popularity over time - boys
278 total births recorded since 1902 (Lydia as boys' name)
Lydia by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (32,730 births, 17% of the file).
2010s was Lydia's strongest decade.
32,730 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Lydia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,902
1880s
3,902 births
- 1890s 5,942
1890s
5,942 births
- 1900s 5,242
1900s
5,242 births
- 1910s 9,025
1910s
9,025 births
- 1920s 9,276
1920s
9,276 births
- 1930s 6,664
1930s
6,664 births
- 1940s 9,188
1940s
9,188 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,613 births
- 1960s 11,709
1960s
11,709 births
- 1970s 7,612
1970s
7,612 births
- 1980s 11,071
1980s
11,071 births
- 1990s
1990s
16,991 births
- 2000s
2000s
26,412 births
- 2010s
2010s
32,730 births
- 2020s
2020s
16,662 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 32,730 births (17% of all-time use).
How Lydia compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lydia's total volume
Lydia by state
Where Lydia concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 16,146 | 8.6% |
| #2 | California | | 14,322 | 7.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 11,361 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 10,171 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 8,394 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 6,864 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 6,111 | 3.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 5,432 | 2.9% |
16,146 of 187,039 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lydia appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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When was Lydia most popular? ▼
Where is Lydia most popular? ▼
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What names are similar to Lydia? ▼
What to do with Lydia's data
- Lydia's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (32,730 total births) through the 2020s (16,662) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Lydias (16,146 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 Lydia
Nearby Names Like Lydia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lydia
Compare Lydia side by side: Lydia vs Lyda Lydia vs Lydiann Lydia vs Lydie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lydia
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lydia: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2014)
Similar record span (~145 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, 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 Lydia 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.