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.
- #329 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #246 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 117,910
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Miriam is the #246 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 #246 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.
- #329 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #246 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 117,910 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Miriam ranks #329 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #246 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 117,910 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #329 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #246 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 117,910
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Miriam's 117,910 recorded births place it above 99.54% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Miriam compares
117,910 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,297 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 314x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Miriam | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 117,910 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,834 | 21 | 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 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
1920s is the heaviest window (15,504 births, 13% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Miriam sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Miriam most popular? ▼
Where is Miriam most popular? ▼
How long has the name Miriam been used? ▼
What names are similar to Miriam? ▼
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
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
Compare Miriam side by side: Miriam vs Miranda Miriam vs Miracle Miriam vs Mira
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Miriam
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Miriam: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1924)
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 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 August 2026.