Total births
21,673
Boys' name · since 1880
Major
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 21,673 babies named Major, peaking in 2017. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #580
- among boys today
- 21,673
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Major is the #580 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 21,673 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Major recorded 21,673 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #580 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, 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.
- #580 among boys today
- 21,673 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Major is currently the #580 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 21,673 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #580
- among boys today
- 21,673
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Major vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#580
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Major was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
1,042 babies were named Major in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Major compares
21,673 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Major's all-time total is 59x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Major | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,673 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,042 | 23 | 22,252 |
Major's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Major's full recorded timeline at 1953, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1901, with just 22 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2017 peak of 1,042 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Major at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2017
Current rank
#580
Active since
1880
Major popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 1,042
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Major popularity over time - girls
76 total births recorded since 1923 (Major as girls' name)
Major by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Major's strongest decade.
7,616 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Major births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 378
1880s
378 births
- 1890s 379
1890s
379 births
- 1900s 388
1900s
388 births
- 1910s 1,147
1910s
1,147 births
- 1920s 1,436
1920s
1,436 births
- 1930s 1,051
1930s
1,051 births
- 1940s 1,176
1940s
1,176 births
- 1950s 1,114
1950s
1,114 births
- 1960s 692
1960s
692 births
- 1970s 572
1970s
572 births
- 1980s 552
1980s
552 births
- 1990s 450
1990s
450 births
- 2000s 868
2000s
868 births
- 2010s
2010s
7,616 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,854 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 7,616 births (35% of all-time use).
How Major 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 Major's total volume
Major vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Major by state
Where Major concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,893 | 8.7% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 1,489 | 6.9% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 1,256 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Florida | | 1,197 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 1,088 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 887 | 4.1% |
| #7 | California | | 788 | 3.6% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 768 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Major's total US births 8.7%
Even split
1,893 of 21,673 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Major appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Major? ▼
Major has been given to 21,673 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #580 as of the latest data. 1,042 babies were born in 2017, its single highest year.
When was Major most popular? ▼
Major was most popular in the 2010s decade with 7,616 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Major most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Major are Texas (1,893 births), Georgia (1,489 births), North Carolina (1,256 births).
How long has the name Major been used? ▼
Major has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Major? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Majid, Majesty, Majd, Majed, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Major's data
- Major's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (7,616 total births) through the 2020s (3,854) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Majors (1,893 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 Major
Nearby Names Like Major
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Major
Majid Boy
#3816 752 births
Majesty Boy
#2664 731 births
Majd Boy
#3945 615 births
Majed Boy
#6001 391 births
Majestic Boy
#7508 227 births
Compare Major side by side: Major vs Majid Major vs Majesty Major vs Majd
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Major
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. "Major: #580 Boys' Name - 21,673 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/major. 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 Major 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.