Total births
43,291
Boys' name · since 1880
Moses
Moses has 43,291 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2016 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #500
- among boys today
- 43,291
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
43,291 babies have been named Moses since 1880, making it today's #500 boys' name.
Moses has 43,291 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #500 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- 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.
- #500 among boys today
- 43,291 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Moses is currently the #500 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 43,291 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #500
- among boys today
- 43,291
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Moses vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#500
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Moses was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
669 babies were named Moses in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Moses compares
43,291 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Moses's all-time total is 118x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Moses | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 43,291 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 669 | 23 | 22,252 |
Moses's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Moses's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 65% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 35%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1901, with only 52 births recorded -- set against the 2016 peak of 669, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Moses at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2016
Current rank
#500
Active since
1880
Moses popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 669
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Moses popularity over time - girls
51 total births recorded since 1925 (Moses as girls' name)
Moses by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Moses's strongest decade.
5,789 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Moses births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 859
1880s
859 births
- 1890s 751
1890s
751 births
- 1900s 847
1900s
847 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,591 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,526 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,716 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,773 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,775 births
- 1960s 2,106
1960s
2,106 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,777 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,277 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,635 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,390 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,789 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,479 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,789 births (13% of all-time use).
How Moses 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 Moses's total volume
Moses vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Moses by state
Where Moses concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5,162 | 11.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,602 | 10.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 4,000 | 9.2% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 2,202 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 2,166 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Florida | | 1,873 | 4.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 1,813 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 1,374 | 3.2% |
California share of Moses's total US births 11.9%
Even split
5,162 of 43,291 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Moses appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Moses? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 43,291 babies named Moses. Today it holds rank #500 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2016, with 669 births.
When was Moses most popular? ▼
Moses was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,789 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Moses most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Moses are California (5,162 births), Texas (4,602 births), New York (4,000 births).
How long has the name Moses been used? ▼
Moses has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Moses? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Moshe, Mose, Mosiah, Mostafa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Moses's data
- Moses's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,789 total births) through the 2020s (3,479) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Mosess (5,162 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Moses
Nearby Names Like Moses
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Moses
Moshe Boy
#482 18,017 births
Mose Boy
#6469 7,935 births
Mosiah Boy
#2737 798 births
Mostafa Boy
#5519 755 births
Moss Boy
#5916 519 births
Compare Moses side by side: Moses vs Moshe Moses vs Mose Moses vs Mosiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Moses
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. "Moses: #500 Boys' Name - 43,291 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/moses. 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 Moses 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.