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.
- #802 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #669 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 21,673
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Major is the #669 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 #669 nationally today, ahead of 95% 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.
- #802 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #669 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 21,673 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Major ranks #802 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #669 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 21,673 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #802 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #669 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 21,673
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Major's 21,673 recorded births place it above 98.23% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
38 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Major compares
21,673 Top 6% higher than 94% of 13,930 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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,673 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,042 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (7,616 births, 35% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Major sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Major most popular? ▼
Where is Major most popular? ▼
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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
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
Compare Major side by side: Major vs Majid Major vs Majesty Major vs Majd
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Major
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Major: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2017)
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 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 August 2026.