Total births
17,094
Unisex name · since 1880
Monroe
Monroe has 17,094 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1275
- among boys today
- 17,094
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
17,094 babies have been named Monroe since 1880, making it today's #1275 unisex name.
Monroe has 17,094 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1275 as of the latest data, more common than 91% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1275 among boys today
- 17,094 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Monroe is currently the #1275 unisex name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 17,094 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1275
- among boys today
- 17,094
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Monroe vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1275
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Monroe was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
375 babies were named Monroe in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Monroe compares
17,094 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Monroe's all-time total is 47x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Monroe | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,094 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 375 | 23 | 22,252 |
Monroe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Monroe's full recorded timeline at 1953, 30% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 70% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2004, with just 22 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 375 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Monroe at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#1,275
Active since
1880
Monroe popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 375
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Monroe popularity over time - girls
7,266 total births recorded since 1928 (Monroe as girls' name)
Monroe by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Monroe's strongest decade.
3,194 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Monroe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 614
1880s
614 births
- 1890s 565
1890s
565 births
- 1900s 720
1900s
720 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,450 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,194 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,163 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,862 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,278 births
- 1960s 753
1960s
753 births
- 1970s 534
1970s
534 births
- 1980s 388
1980s
388 births
- 1990s 335
1990s
335 births
- 2000s 341
2000s
341 births
- 2010s 1,025
2010s
1,025 births
- 2020s 872
2020s
872 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,194 births (19% of all-time use).
How Monroe 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 Monroe's total volume
Monroe vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Monroe by state
Where Monroe concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,316 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Mississippi | | 912 | 5.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 847 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 729 | 4.3% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 665 | 3.9% |
| #6 | South Carolina | | 617 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 605 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 557 | 3.3% |
Texas share of Monroe's total US births 7.7%
Even split
1,316 of 17,094 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Monroe appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Monroe? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 17,094 babies named Monroe. Today it holds rank #1275 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 375 births.
When was Monroe most popular? ▼
Monroe was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,194 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Monroe most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Monroe are Texas (1,316 births), Mississippi (912 births), New York (847 births).
Is Monroe a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Monroe is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 17,094 births, and as a girl's name it has 7,266 births.
How long has the name Monroe been used? ▼
Records for Monroe go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Monroe? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Monte, Monty, Montgomery, Montana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Monroe's data
- Monroe's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,194 total births); usage has since declined to 872 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Monroes (1,316 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 Monroe
Nearby Names Like Monroe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Monroe
Monte Boy
#1432 23,160 births
Monty Boy
#1812 15,350 births
Montgomery Boy
#1088 5,701 births
Montana Boy
#1656 4,040 births
Montrell Boy
#3468 3,980 births
Compare Monroe side by side: Monroe vs Monte Monroe vs Monty Monroe vs Montgomery
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Monroe
Kruz #1274
2,659 births · Peak 2022
Coleman #1276
17,599 births · Peak 1997
Maxton #1273
4,685 births · Peak 2017
Viktor #1277
3,634 births · Peak 2018
Rolando #1272
24,438 births · Peak 1994
Natanael #1278
2,557 births · Peak 2020
Bailey #1271
21,738 births · Peak 1997
Amani #1279
2,890 births · Peak 2024
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. "Monroe: #1275 Unisex Name - 17,094 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/monroe. 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 Monroe 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.