Boys' name · since 1880

Morton

Morton has 12,336 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1923 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

12,336
total births
1880–2021
years on record
1920s
peak decade
35%
born in that decade

Morton sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 12,336 recorded since 1880.

Morton has 12,336 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 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 2021.

  • 12,336 total births
  • 1880–2021 years on record
  • 1920s peak decade
  • 35% born in that decade

Data updated Jun 2026

The verdict

12,336 boys have been named Morton since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2021.

12,336
total births
1880–2021
years on record
1920s
peak decade
35%
born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade

35% of everyone ever named Morton was born in this single decade.

1923
Single peak year

482 babies were named Morton in 1923 - its busiest year on record.

Morton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Morton's full recorded timeline at 1942, 15% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 85% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1988, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1923 peak of 482 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Morton at a glance

Last recorded 2021

Total births

12,336

Since 1880

142 years of records

Peak year

1923

482 births that year

Strongest decade: 1920s

Current rank

Unranked

Outside the modern top-1,000

As of 2021

Active since

1880

Recorded for 142 years

Last year on file: 2021

Morton popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2021

Last recorded 2021
Peak year (1923)
482
Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
-2000200400600 188018961912192819441960197619962021 8

Morton popularity over time - girls

5 total births recorded since 1918 (Morton as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 5 births
5 1918 5

Morton by decade

Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance

1920s was Morton's strongest decade.

4,335 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.

Morton births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 4,335 births (35% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of June 2026

How Morton 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 Morton's total volume

Morton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Morton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year Morton
Morton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Morton by state

Where Morton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Regionally concentrated
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Morton
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
4,308 34.9%
#2 Pennsylvania
1,271 10.3%
#3 Illinois
732 5.9%
#4 New Jersey
480 3.9%
#5 Massachusetts
361 2.9%
#6 Ohio
345 2.8%
#7 Maryland
333 2.7%
#8 Michigan
207 1.7%
New York share of Morton's total US births 34.9%
Even split

4,308 of 12,336 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.

Morton appears in 25 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Morton? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 12,336 babies named Morton. The most recent recorded year was 2021. Its busiest year on record was 1923, with 482 births.
When was Morton most popular? ▼
Morton was most popular in the 1920s decade with 4,335 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Where is Morton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Morton are New York (4,308 births), Pennsylvania (1,271 births), Illinois (732 births).
How long has the name Morton been used? ▼
Records for Morton go back to 1880, giving 142 years of history through 2021.
What names are similar to Morton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Morris, Morgan, Mordechai, Mortimer, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Morton's data

  • Morton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (4,335 total births); usage has since declined to 8 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • New York records the most Mortons (4,308 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 Morton

Nearby Names Like Morton

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Morton

Morris Boy
#1862 71,000 births
Morgan Boy
#531 45,643 births
Mordechai Boy
#958 6,821 births
Mortimer Boy
1,943 births
Morrison Boy
#3532 1,867 births

Compare Morton side by side: Morton vs Morris Morton vs Morgan Morton vs Mordechai

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Mervin #2394
12,322 births · Peak 1920
Mekhi #1025
12,354 births · Peak 2005
Hassan #649
12,300 births · Peak 2025
Nigel #2194
12,286 births · Peak 1994
Deangelo #1744
12,279 births · Peak 1990
Reggie #1971
12,276 births · Peak 1979
Yahir #764
12,431 births · Peak 2003
Gale #6487
12,437 births · Peak 1947

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, 1880–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Cite this page

NameAlmanac Editorial. "Morton: Baby Name Since 1880 - 12,336 Births, Peak 1923." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/morton. 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 Morton 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.