Napoleon
Napoleon was given to 22 boys in 2025, #4,650 among boys’ names; 7,810 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 3,580 Americans named Napoleon and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (46% of everyone recorded); the median is 54 years old and half are between 35 and 68.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Napoleon by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Napoleon mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Napoleon is “a male given name from Italian sometimes given in honor of the French emperor.”
From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”).
/nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Napoleon?
#4,650 among boys’ names, 2025
Napoleon rose from #5,207 in 2015 to #4,650 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 9.4 to 12.9 per million.
122 babies in 1926, the peak
Napoleon peaked in 1926, when 122 boys were given it, #558 among boys’ names. The 22 births of 2025 are 18% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | #4,650 | 0.01 |
| 2024 | 12 | #7,122 | 0.01 |
| 2023 | 13 | #6,779 | 0.01 |
| 2022 | 10 | #8,124 | 0.01 |
| 2021 | 14 | #6,235 | 0.01 |
| 2020 | 12 | #6,903 | 0.01 |
| 2019 | 15 | #6,014 | 0.01 |
| 2018 | 26 | #4,070 | 0.01 |
| 2017 | 15 | #5,975 | 0.01 |
| 2016 | 13 | #6,599 | 0.01 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 18 | #5,207 | 0.01 |
| 2014 | 17 | #5,406 | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 38 | #2,981 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 19 | #4,977 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 20 | #4,775 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 23 | #4,325 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 19 | #5,048 | 0.01 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4,222 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 32 | #3,422 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 28 | #3,658 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 31 | #3,292 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 30 | #3,261 | 0.02 |
| 2003 | 33 | #2,970 | 0.02 |
| 2002 | 29 | #3,158 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 42 | #2,366 | 0.02 |
| 2000 | 44 | #2,239 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 28 | #2,993 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 40 | #2,259 | 0.02 |
| 1997 | 35 | #2,378 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 32 | #2,465 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 38 | #2,156 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 37 | #2,203 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 36 | #2,193 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 46 | #1,811 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 41 | #1,904 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 55 | #1,537 | 0.03 |
| 1989 | 67 | #1,341 | 0.03 |
| 1988 | 49 | #1,516 | 0.03 |
| 1987 | 68 | #1,169 | 0.04 |
| 1986 | 50 | #1,413 | 0.03 |
| 1985 | 53 | #1,325 | 0.03 |
| 1984 | 46 | #1,415 | 0.03 |
| 1983 | 45 | #1,415 | 0.03 |
| 1982 | 47 | #1,388 | 0.03 |
| 1981 | 54 | #1,257 | 0.03 |
| 1980 | 53 | #1,284 | 0.03 |
| 1979 | 47 | #1,362 | 0.03 |
| 1978 | 42 | #1,449 | 0.03 |
| 1977 | 52 | #1,236 | 0.03 |
| 1976 | 39 | #1,444 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 56 | #1,133 | 0.04 |
| 1974 | 49 | #1,189 | 0.03 |
| 1973 | 54 | #1,118 | 0.03 |
| 1972 | 70 | #973 | 0.04 |
| 1971 | 54 | #1,120 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 62 | #1,039 | 0.03 |
| 1969 | 90 | #815 | 0.05 |
| 1968 | 75 | #843 | 0.04 |
| 1967 | 89 | #777 | 0.05 |
| 1966 | 97 | #753 | 0.05 |
| 1965 | 83 | #811 | 0.04 |
| 1964 | 69 | #918 | 0.03 |
| 1963 | 69 | #903 | 0.03 |
| 1962 | 72 | #898 | 0.03 |
| 1961 | 76 | #878 | 0.04 |
| 1960 | 75 | #883 | 0.04 |
| 1959 | 89 | #810 | 0.04 |
| 1958 | 88 | #801 | 0.04 |
| 1957 | 73 | #887 | 0.03 |
| 1956 | 78 | #850 | 0.04 |
| 1955 | 121 | #665 | 0.06 |
| 1954 | 101 | #718 | 0.05 |
| 1953 | 85 | #769 | 0.04 |
| 1952 | 98 | #711 | 0.05 |
| 1951 | 89 | #738 | 0.05 |
| 1950 | 77 | #781 | 0.04 |
| 1949 | 86 | #743 | 0.05 |
| 1948 | 79 | #761 | 0.05 |
| 1947 | 84 | #749 | 0.05 |
| 1946 | 60 | #854 | 0.04 |
| 1945 | 60 | #805 | 0.04 |
| 1944 | 64 | #787 | 0.05 |
| 1943 | 70 | #785 | 0.05 |
| 1942 | 81 | #715 | 0.06 |
| 1941 | 61 | #812 | 0.05 |
| 1940 | 58 | #826 | 0.05 |
| 1939 | 75 | #689 | 0.07 |
| 1938 | 73 | #717 | 0.07 |
| 1937 | 67 | #747 | 0.06 |
| 1936 | 73 | #695 | 0.07 |
| 1935 | 93 | #603 | 0.09 |
| 1934 | 79 | #689 | 0.08 |
| 1933 | 85 | #629 | 0.09 |
| 1932 | 99 | #594 | 0.09 |
| 1931 | 74 | #707 | 0.07 |
| 1930 | 80 | #697 | 0.07 |
| 1929 | 96 | #625 | 0.09 |
| 1928 | 76 | #737 | 0.07 |
| 1927 | 94 | #656 | 0.08 |
| 1926 | 122 | #558 | 0.11 |
| 1925 | 111 | #598 | 0.10 |
| 1924 | 116 | #591 | 0.10 |
| 1923 | 112 | #598 | 0.10 |
| 1922 | 96 | #656 | 0.09 |
| 1921 | 117 | #587 | 0.11 |
| 1920 | 96 | #648 | 0.09 |
| 1919 | 109 | #574 | 0.11 |
| 1918 | 109 | #583 | 0.11 |
| 1917 | 79 | #677 | 0.09 |
| 1916 | 98 | #590 | 0.11 |
| 1915 | 102 | #560 | 0.12 |
| 1914 | 78 | #568 | 0.12 |
| 1913 | 74 | #505 | 0.14 |
| 1912 | 56 | #538 | 0.13 |
| 1911 | 48 | #417 | 0.21 |
| 1910 | 44 | #402 | 0.23 |
| 1909 | 35 | #425 | 0.21 |
| 1908 | 35 | #401 | 0.23 |
| 1907 | 24 | #482 | 0.16 |
| 1906 | 14 | #670 | 0.11 |
| 1905 | 25 | #446 | 0.19 |
| 1904 | 11 | #750 | 0.09 |
| 1903 | 16 | #566 | 0.13 |
| 1902 | 23 | #434 | 0.19 |
| 1901 | 24 | #390 | 0.23 |
| 1900 | 32 | #399 | 0.21 |
| 1899 | 20 | #423 | 0.19 |
| 1898 | 19 | #480 | 0.15 |
| 1897 | 23 | #398 | 0.20 |
| 1896 | 22 | #421 | 0.18 |
| 1895 | 27 | #365 | 0.23 |
| 1894 | 22 | #406 | 0.19 |
| 1893 | 23 | #380 | 0.20 |
| 1892 | 22 | #410 | 0.18 |
| 1891 | 24 | #356 | 0.24 |
| 1890 | 25 | #355 | 0.23 |
| 1889 | 20 | #412 | 0.18 |
| 1888 | 22 | #401 | 0.18 |
| 1887 | 32 | #297 | 0.32 |
| 1886 | 32 | #307 | 0.29 |
| 1885 | 26 | #339 | 0.24 |
| 1884 | 28 | #334 | 0.24 |
| 1883 | 22 | #368 | 0.21 |
| 1882 | 29 | #321 | 0.26 |
| 1881 | 25 | #329 | 0.25 |
| 1880 | 31 | #303 | 0.28 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Napoleon a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Napoleon has been given almost only to boys: 5 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Napoleon: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Napoleon, and how old are they?
3,580 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 46% of the 7,810 Americans ever recorded as Napoleon. The median Napoleon alive today is 54 years old; half are between 35 and 68.
The 2020 Census counted 4,933 people named Napoleon (16 women and girls, 4,917 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 3,927 born in the U.S. The Census count is 26% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 244 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,030 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 885 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 725 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 468 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 223 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Napoleon born?
The states with the most babies named Napoleon are Alabama, Texas and Georgia, with 39% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Alabama is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 492 | not ranked | 3.1× |
| Texas | 467 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Georgia | 431 | not ranked | 2.1× |
| North Carolina | 353 | not ranked | 1.6× |
| Mississippi | 338 | not ranked | 2.9× |
| California | 298 | #2,385 | 0.6× |
| Arkansas | 189 | not ranked | 1.9× |
| Florida | 177 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Tennessee | 157 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Illinois | 143 | not ranked | 0.4× |
Where Napoleon is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Napoleon is most over-represented in Alabama: since 1910 it was given 3.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Napoleon with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 8,180 babies since 1880, Napoleon is the most given (95% of them). In 2025 it was given to 22 of their 22 babies (100%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Napoleon
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Napoleon and names like it
- Compare Napoleon and NapoleanBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sNapoleon peaked in 1926.
- Alabama’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Napoleon since 1910.
- French namesWiktionary’s origin for Napoleon: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1926The year the most babies were named Napoleon.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Napoleon alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with NMost given first.