Total births
117,936
Boys' name · since 1880
Milton
Milton has 117,936 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1426
- among boys today
- 117,936
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
117,936 babies have been named Milton since 1880, making it today's #1426 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Milton has been recorded 117,936 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1426 nationally and more common than 90% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1426 among boys today
- 117,936 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Milton is currently the #1426 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 117,936 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1426
- among boys today
- 117,936
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Milton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1426
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Milton was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
2,592 babies were named Milton in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Milton compares
117,936 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Milton's all-time total is 321x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Milton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 117,936 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,592 | 23 | 22,252 |
Milton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Milton splits its recorded history at 1953: 30% of all births land in the more recent half, 70% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1887 (122 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 2,592 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Milton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#1,426
Active since
1880
Milton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 2,592
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Milton popularity over time - girls
615 total births recorded since 1901 (Milton as girls' name)
Milton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Milton's strongest decade.
24,198 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Milton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,479
1880s
1,479 births
- 1890s 1,745
1890s
1,745 births
- 1900s 2,695
1900s
2,695 births
- 1910s
1910s
17,522 births
- 1920s
1920s
24,198 births
- 1930s
1930s
15,729 births
- 1940s
1940s
14,879 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,578 births
- 1960s 9,004
1960s
9,004 births
- 1970s 4,695
1970s
4,695 births
- 1980s 3,743
1980s
3,743 births
- 1990s 2,833
1990s
2,833 births
- 2000s 2,390
2000s
2,390 births
- 2010s 1,632
2010s
1,632 births
- 2020s 814
2020s
814 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 24,198 births (21% of all-time use).
How Milton 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 Milton's total volume
Milton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Milton by state
Where Milton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 12,679 | 10.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 8,599 | 7.3% |
| #3 | California | | 5,230 | 4.4% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 5,165 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5,070 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 4,958 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 4,937 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 4,667 | 4.0% |
New York share of Milton's total US births 10.8%
Even split
12,679 of 117,936 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Milton appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Milton? ▼
Milton has been given to 117,936 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1426 as of the latest data. 2,592 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Milton most popular? ▼
Milton was most popular in the 1920s decade with 24,198 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Milton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Milton are New York (12,679 births), Texas (8,599 births), California (5,230 births).
How long has the name Milton been used? ▼
Records for Milton go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Milton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Miles, Milo, Milan, Millard, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Milton's data
- Milton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (24,198 total births); usage has since declined to 814 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Miltons (12,679 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 Milton
Nearby Names Like Milton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Milton
Miles Boy
#37 122,868 births
Milo Boy
#120 43,847 births
Milan Boy
#231 18,608 births
Millard Boy
16,743 births
Miller Boy
#438 11,172 births
Compare Milton side by side: Milton vs Miles Milton vs Milo Milton vs Milan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Milton
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. "Milton: #1426 Boys' Name - 117,936 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/milton. 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 Milton 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.