Total births
84,654
Girls' name · since 1944
Misty
Misty has 84,654 recorded births since 1944 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1977 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4050
- among girls today
- 84,654
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other girls
84,654 babies have been named Misty since 1944, making it today's #4050 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Misty has been recorded 84,654 times among girls since 1944, currently ranked #4050 nationally and more common than 77% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1944 to 2025.
- #4050 among girls today
- 84,654 born since 1944
- 1970s peak decade
- 77% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Misty is currently the #4050 girls' name in America, more common than 77% of girls - 84,654 born since 1944, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4050
- among girls today
- 84,654
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other girls
Misty vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4050
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 77% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Misty was born in this single decade.
1977
Single peak year
6,315 babies were named Misty in 1977 - its busiest year on record.
How Misty compares
84,654 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
Misty's all-time total is 222x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Misty | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 84,654 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,315 | 48 | 19,840 |
Misty's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Misty's full recorded timeline at 1985, 19% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 81% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1945, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1977 peak of 6,315 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Misty at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1977
Current rank
#4,050
Active since
1944
Misty popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1944–2025
- Peak year (1977)
- 6,315
- Annual births at peak, across 82 years of records
Misty popularity over time - boys
237 total births recorded since 1971 (Misty as boys' name)
Misty by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Misty's strongest decade.
42,375 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Misty births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 40
1940s
40 births
- 1950s 276
1950s
276 births
- 1960s 5,294
1960s
5,294 births
- 1970s
1970s
42,375 births
- 1980s
1980s
29,114 births
- 1990s 5,419
1990s
5,419 births
- 2000s 1,428
2000s
1,428 births
- 2010s 520
2010s
520 births
- 2020s 188
2020s
188 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 42,375 births (50% of all-time use).
How Misty 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 Misty's total volume
Misty vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Misty by state
Where Misty concentrates geographically, total births since 1944
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 11,072 | 13.1% |
| #2 | California | | 6,203 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 4,462 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 4,317 | 5.1% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 3,177 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 3,154 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 3,073 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 3,057 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Misty's total US births 13.1%
Even split
11,072 of 84,654 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Misty appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Misty? ▼
Since 1944, Social Security records show 84,654 babies named Misty. Today it holds rank #4050 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1977, with 6,315 births.
When was Misty most popular? ▼
Misty was most popular in the 1970s decade with 42,375 total births. The single peak year was 1977.
Where is Misty most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Misty are Texas (11,072 births), California (6,203 births), Ohio (4,462 births).
How long has the name Misty been used? ▼
Misty has been recorded in Social Security data since 1944, spanning 82 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Misty? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Misti, Missy, Misha, Mistie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Misty's data
- Misty's decade-level peak was the 1970s (42,375 total births); usage has since declined to 188 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Mistys (11,072 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 Misty
Nearby Names Like Misty
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Misty
Misti Girl
8,324 births
Missy Girl
#6208 5,776 births
Misha Girl
#2255 4,255 births
Mistie Girl
2,240 births
Mischa Girl
#5837 1,693 births
Compare Misty side by side: Misty vs Misti Misty vs Missy Misty vs Misha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Misty
Kaylene #4049
5,070 births · Peak 1993
Emilyn #4051
1,525 births · Peak 2012
Ravenna #4048
567 births · Peak 2020
Goddess #4052
747 births · Peak 2019
Sona #4047
1,443 births · Peak 2025
Jordana #4053
3,434 births · Peak 2009
Ivonne #4046
6,127 births · Peak 1992
Symone #4054
4,376 births · Peak 1991
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, 1944–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Misty: #4050 Girls' Name - 84,654 Births, Peak 1977." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/misty. 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 Misty 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.