Total births
7,805
Boys' name · since 1880
Napoleon
7,805 babies named Napoleon in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1926. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6833
- among boys today
- 7,805
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
7,805 babies have been named Napoleon since 1880, making it today's #6833 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Napoleon has been recorded 7,805 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #6833 nationally and more common than 52% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #6833 among boys today
- 7,805 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 52% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Napoleon is currently the #6833 boys' name in America, more common than 52% of boys - 7,805 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6833
- among boys today
- 7,805
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
Napoleon vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6833
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 52% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Napoleon was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
122 babies were named Napoleon in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Napoleon compares
7,805 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Napoleon's all-time total is 21x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Napoleon | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,805 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 122 | 23 | 22,252 |
Napoleon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Napoleon's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 45% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 55%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 2022, with only 10 births recorded -- set against the 1926 peak of 122, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Napoleon at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#6,833
Active since
1880
Napoleon popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1926)
- 122
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Napoleon popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1927 (Napoleon as girls' name)
Napoleon by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Napoleon's strongest decade.
1,036 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Napoleon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 267
1880s
267 births
- 1890s 227
1890s
227 births
- 1900s 239
1900s
239 births
- 1910s
1910s
797 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,036 births
- 1930s
1930s
798 births
- 1940s
1940s
703 births
- 1950s
1950s
899 births
- 1960s
1960s
795 births
- 1970s
1970s
525 births
- 1980s
1980s
532 births
- 1990s 388
1990s
388 births
- 2000s 312
2000s
312 births
- 2010s 204
2010s
204 births
- 2020s 83
2020s
83 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,036 births (13% of all-time use).
How Napoleon 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 Napoleon's total volume
Napoleon vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Napoleon by state
Where Napoleon concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 492 | 6.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 467 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 431 | 5.5% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 353 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 338 | 4.3% |
| #6 | California | | 298 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 189 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Florida | | 177 | 2.3% |
Alabama share of Napoleon's total US births 6.3%
Even split
492 of 7,805 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Napoleon appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Napoleon? ▼
Napoleon has been given to 7,805 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #6833 as of the latest data. 122 babies were born in 1926, its single highest year.
When was Napoleon most popular? ▼
Napoleon was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,036 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Napoleon most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Napoleon are Alabama (492 births), Texas (467 births), Georgia (431 births).
How long has the name Napoleon been used? ▼
Records for Napoleon go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Napoleon? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Napolean, Naphtali, Napat. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Napoleon's data
- Napoleon's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,036 total births); usage has since declined to 83 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Alabama records the most Napoleons (492 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama 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 Napoleon
Nearby Names Like Napoleon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Napoleon
Compare Napoleon side by side: Napoleon vs Napolean Napoleon vs Naphtali Napoleon vs Napat
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Napoleon
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. "Napoleon: #6833 Boys' Name - 7,805 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/napoleon. 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 Napoleon 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.