Total births
117,910
Girls' name · since 1880
Miriam
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 117,910 babies named Miriam, peaking in 1924. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #249
- among girls today
- 117,910
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Miriam is the #249 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 117,910 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Miriam recorded 117,910 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #249 nationally today, ahead of 99% of girls, 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.
- #249 among girls today
- 117,910 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 99% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Miriam is currently the #249 girls' name in America, more common than 99% of girls - 117,910 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #249
- among girls today
- 117,910
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Miriam vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#249
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Miriam was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
1,834 babies were named Miriam in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Miriam compares
117,910 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Miriam's all-time total is 309x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Miriam | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 117,910 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,834 | 48 | 19,840 |
Miriam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Miriam splits its recorded history at 1953: 58% of all births land in the more recent half, 42% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (27 births) -- compare that against the 1924 peak of 1,834 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Miriam at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1924
Current rank
#249
Active since
1880
Miriam popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 1,834
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Miriam popularity over time - boys
280 total births recorded since 1918 (Miriam as boys' name)
Miriam by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Miriam's strongest decade.
15,504 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Miriam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 462
1880s
462 births
- 1890s 1,397
1890s
1,397 births
- 1900s 2,566
1900s
2,566 births
- 1910s
1910s
11,048 births
- 1920s
1920s
15,504 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,348 births
- 1940s
1940s
7,107 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,544 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,084 births
- 1970s
1970s
6,433 births
- 1980s
1980s
7,729 births
- 1990s
1990s
10,071 births
- 2000s
2000s
11,356 births
- 2010s
2010s
10,927 births
- 2020s
2020s
7,334 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 15,504 births (13% of all-time use).
How Miriam compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Miriam's total volume
Miriam vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Miriam by state
Where Miriam concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 24,895 | 21.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 10,129 | 8.6% |
| #3 | California | | 9,883 | 8.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 6,391 | 5.4% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 6,308 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 5,562 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 4,381 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 3,152 | 2.7% |
New York share of Miriam's total US births 21.1%
Even split
24,895 of 117,910 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Miriam appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Miriam? ▼
Miriam has been given to 117,910 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #249 as of the latest data. 1,834 babies were born in 1924, its single highest year.
When was Miriam most popular? ▼
Miriam was most popular in the 1920s decade with 15,504 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Miriam most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Miriam are New York (24,895 births), Pennsylvania (10,129 births), California (9,883 births).
How long has the name Miriam been used? ▼
Records for Miriam go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Miriam? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Miranda, Miracle, Mira, Mireya, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Miriam's data
- Miriam's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (15,504 total births) through the 2020s (7,334) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Miriams (24,895 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 Miriam
Nearby Names Like Miriam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Miriam
Miranda Girl
#623 114,979 births
Miracle Girl
#468 21,471 births
Mira Girl
#380 15,096 births
Mireya Girl
#1068 9,939 births
Mirna Girl
#6441 4,154 births
Compare Miriam side by side: Miriam vs Miranda Miriam vs Miracle Miriam vs Mira
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Miriam
Faith #248
147,851 births · Peak 2003
Gracie #250
84,121 births · Peak 2007
Kimberly #247
846,393 births · Peak 1970
Elise #251
75,186 births · Peak 2012
Rachel #246
573,957 births · Peak 1985
Juliana #252
67,748 births · Peak 2007
Selena #245
59,887 births · Peak 1995
Noa #253
11,815 births · Peak 2025
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. "Miriam: #249 Girls' Name - 117,910 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/miriam. 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 Miriam 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.