Total births
187,039
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.
- #97
- among girls today
- 187,039
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.5%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lydia is the #97 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 #97 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.
- #97 among girls today
- 187,039 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.5% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lydia is currently the #97 girls' name in America, more common than 99.5% of girls - 187,039 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #97
- among girls today
- 187,039
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.5%
- more common than other girls
Lydia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#97
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.5% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Lydia was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
3,652 babies were named Lydia in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Lydia compares
187,039 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 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 490x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lydia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 187,039 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,652 | 48 | 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 at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
2014
Current rank
#97
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
Texas share of Lydia's total US births 8.6%
Even split
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
How popular is the name Lydia? ▼
Lydia has been given to 187,039 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #97 as of the latest data. 3,652 babies were born in 2014, its single highest year.
When was Lydia most popular? ▼
Lydia was most popular in the 2010s decade with 32,730 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Lydia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lydia are Texas (16,146 births), California (14,322 births), New York (11,361 births).
How long has the name Lydia been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lydia since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lydia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lyda, Lydiann, Lydie, Lydiah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Lydia
Nearby Names Like Lydia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lydia
Lyda Girl
#10274 4,973 births
Lydiann Girl
#6447 478 births
Lydie Girl
#12189 337 births
Lydiah Girl
313 births
Lydian Girl
#10353 246 births
Compare Lydia side by side: Lydia vs Lyda Lydia vs Lydiann Lydia vs Lydie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lydia
Quinn #96
52,503 births · Peak 2016
Lucia #98
59,335 births · Peak 2025
Aaliyah #95
109,971 births · Peak 2012
Allison #99
319,119 births · Peak 1994
Anna #94
914,859 births · Peak 1918
Hailey #100
181,434 births · Peak 2003
Sarah #93
1,098,498 births · Peak 1982
Ailany #101
11,160 births · Peak 2025
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lydia: #97 Girls' Name - 187,039 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lydia. 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 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 June 2026.