Total births
1,291
Boys' name · since 1941
Macarthur
1,291 babies named Macarthur in U.S. Social Security records since 1941, with the highest year being 1942. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10044
- among boys today
- 1,291
- born since 1941
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Macarthur currently ranks #10044 among boys' names in America, with 1,291 babies recorded since 1941.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Macarthur has been recorded 1,291 times among boys since 1941, currently ranked #10044 nationally and more common than 30% of boys, 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 1941 to 2025.
- #10044 among boys today
- 1,291 born since 1941
- 1940s peak decade
- 30% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Macarthur is currently the #10044 boys' name in America, more common than 30% of boys - 1,291 born since 1941, peaking in the 1940s.
- #10044
- among boys today
- 1,291
- born since 1941
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Macarthur vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10044
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 30% of names given to boys today.
1940s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Macarthur was born in this single decade.
1942
Single peak year
142 babies were named Macarthur in 1942 - its busiest year on record.
How Macarthur compares
1,291 Top 27% higher than 73% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Macarthur's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Macarthur | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,291 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 142 | 23 | 22,252 |
Macarthur's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Macarthur splits its recorded history at 1983: 36% of all births land in the more recent half, 64% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1941 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1942 peak of 142 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Macarthur at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1942
Current rank
#10,044
Active since
1941
Macarthur popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1941–2025
- Peak year (1942)
- 142
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Macarthur by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Macarthur's strongest decade.
357 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Macarthur births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s
1940s
357 births
- 1950s 131
1950s
131 births
- 1960s
1960s
148 births
- 1970s
1970s
151 births
- 1980s 110
1980s
110 births
- 1990s 110
1990s
110 births
- 2000s 98
2000s
98 births
- 2010s 129
2010s
129 births
- 2020s 57
2020s
57 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 357 births (28% of all-time use).
How Macarthur 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 Macarthur's total volume
Macarthur vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Macarthur by state
Where Macarthur concentrates geographically, total births since 1941
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 35 | 2.7% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 23 | 1.8% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 17 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 16 | 1.2% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 16 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 16 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 14 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Texas | | 7 | 0.5% |
Mississippi share of Macarthur's total US births 2.7%
Even split
35 of 1,291 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Macarthur appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Macarthur? ▼
Macarthur has been given to 1,291 babies in the U.S. since 1941, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #10044 as of the latest data. 142 babies were born in 1942, its single highest year.
When was Macarthur most popular? ▼
Macarthur was most popular in the 1940s decade with 357 total births. The single peak year was 1942.
Where is Macarthur most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Macarthur are Mississippi (35 births), Alabama (23 births), Tennessee (17 births).
How long has the name Macarthur been used? ▼
Records for Macarthur go back to 1941, giving 85 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Macarthur? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mack, Mac, Mackenzie, Maceo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Macarthur's data
- Macarthur's decade-level peak was the 1940s (357 total births); usage has since declined to 57 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Macarthurs (35 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi 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 Macarthur
Nearby Names Like Macarthur
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Macarthur
Mack Boy
#498 42,720 births
Mac Boy
#695 11,397 births
Mackenzie Boy
#1870 7,861 births
Maceo Boy
#2137 3,195 births
Macario Boy
#3401 2,824 births
Compare Macarthur side by side: Macarthur vs Mack Macarthur vs Mac Macarthur vs Mackenzie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Macarthur
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, 1941–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Macarthur: #10044 Boys' Name - 1,291 Births, Peak 1942." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/macarthur. 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 Macarthur 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.