Total births
1,943
Boys' name · since 1880
Mortimer
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,943 babies named Mortimer, peaking in 1916. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 1,943
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 33%
- born in that decade
Mortimer is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,943 have been recorded since 1880.
Mortimer has 1,943 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2023.
- 1,943 total births
- 1880–2023 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 33% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,943 boys have been named Mortimer since 1880, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 2023.
- 1,943
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 33%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Mortimer was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
91 babies were named Mortimer in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
Mortimer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Mortimer splits its recorded history at 1926: 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 1903 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1916 peak of 91 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Mortimer at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Mortimer popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1916)
- 91
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Mortimer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Mortimer's strongest decade.
645 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Mortimer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 99
1880s
99 births
- 1890s 93
1890s
93 births
- 1900s 97
1900s
97 births
- 1910s
1910s
645 births
- 1920s
1920s
603 births
- 1930s 187
1930s
187 births
- 1940s 75
1940s
75 births
- 1950s 59
1950s
59 births
- 1960s 39
1960s
39 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 2010s 10
2010s
10 births
- 2020s 19
2020s
19 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 645 births (33% of all-time use).
How Mortimer 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 Mortimer's total volume
Mortimer vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Mortimer by state
Where Mortimer concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 786 | 40.5% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 62 | 3.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 15 | 0.8% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 15 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Connecticut | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 5 | 0.3% |
New York share of Mortimer's total US births 40.5%
Even split
786 of 1,943 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mortimer? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,943 babies named Mortimer. The most recent recorded year was 2023. Its busiest year on record was 1916, with 91 births.
When was Mortimer most popular? ▼
Mortimer was most popular in the 1910s decade with 645 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Mortimer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mortimer are New York (786 births), New Jersey (62 births), Illinois (15 births).
How long has the name Mortimer been used? ▼
Mortimer has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 144 years of data through 2023.
What names are similar to Mortimer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Morris, Morgan, Morton, Mordechai, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Mortimer's data
- Mortimer's decade-level peak was the 1910s (645 total births); usage has since declined to 19 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Mortimers (786 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 Mortimer
Nearby Names Like Mortimer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mortimer
Morris Boy
#1862 71,000 births
Morgan Boy
#531 45,643 births
Morton Boy
12,336 births
Mordechai Boy
#958 6,821 births
Morrison Boy
#3532 1,867 births
Compare Mortimer side by side: Mortimer vs Morris Mortimer vs Morgan Mortimer vs Morton
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1880–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mortimer: Baby Name Since 1880 - 1,943 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mortimer. 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 Mortimer 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.