Total births
8,559
Boys' name · since 1880
Lyman
8,559 babies named Lyman in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1917. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 8,559
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
Lyman sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 8,559 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Lyman recorded 8,559 times among boys since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- 8,559 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 21% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
8,559 boys have been named Lyman since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 8,559
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Lyman was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
220 babies were named Lyman in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
Lyman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lyman's SSA record in two at 1952 and the more recent half accounts for 23% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 77%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2009, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1917 peak of 220, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lyman at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1917
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Lyman popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 220
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lyman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Lyman's strongest decade.
1,823 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Lyman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 297
1880s
297 births
- 1890s 284
1890s
284 births
- 1900s 309
1900s
309 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,336 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,823 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,233 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,099 births
- 1950s
1950s
800 births
- 1960s 487
1960s
487 births
- 1970s 308
1970s
308 births
- 1980s 227
1980s
227 births
- 1990s 146
1990s
146 births
- 2000s 63
2000s
63 births
- 2010s 108
2010s
108 births
- 2020s 39
2020s
39 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,823 births (21% of all-time use).
How Lyman 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 Lyman's total volume
Lyman vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lyman by state
Where Lyman concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 419 | 4.9% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 349 | 4.1% |
| #3 | Missouri | | 266 | 3.1% |
| #4 | California | | 262 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 245 | 2.9% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 169 | 2.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 162 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 160 | 1.9% |
New York share of Lyman's total US births 4.9%
Even split
419 of 8,559 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Lyman appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lyman? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 8,559 babies named Lyman. The most recent recorded year was 2025. Its busiest year on record was 1917, with 220 births.
When was Lyman most popular? ▼
Lyman was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,823 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Lyman most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lyman are New York (419 births), Illinois (349 births), Missouri (266 births).
How long has the name Lyman been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lyman since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lyman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lymon. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lyman's data
- Lyman's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,823 total births); usage has since declined to 39 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lymans (419 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Lyman
Nearby Names Like Lyman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lyman
Compare Lyman side by side: Lyman vs Lymon
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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. "Lyman: Baby Name Since 1880 - 8,559 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lyman. 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 Lyman 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 July 2026.