Total births
424
Unisex name · since 1997
Nation
Nation has 424 recorded births since 1997 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4811
- among boys today
- 424
- born since 1997
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 66%
- more common than other boys
Nation currently ranks #4811 among unisex names in America, with 424 babies recorded since 1997.
Nation has 424 recorded births among boys since 1997, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4811 as of the latest data, more common than 66% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1997 to 2025.
- #4811 among boys today
- 424 born since 1997
- 2020s peak decade
- 66% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nation is currently the #4811 unisex name in America, more common than 66% of boys - 424 born since 1997, peaking in the 2020s.
- #4811
- among boys today
- 424
- born since 1997
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 66%
- more common than other boys
Nation vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4811
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 66% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Nation was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
44 babies were named Nation in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Nation compares
424 Top 47% higher than 53% 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
Nation's all-time total is 16% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nation | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 424 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 44 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nation's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nation's full recorded timeline at 2013, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1999, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2021 peak of 44 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nation at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2021
Current rank
#4,811
Active since
1997
Nation popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1997–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 44
- Annual births at peak, across 29 years of records
Nation popularity over time - girls
75 total births recorded since 2002 (Nation as girls' name)
Nation by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Nation's strongest decade.
182 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Nation births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 11
1990s
11 births
- 2000s
2000s
87 births
- 2010s
2010s
144 births
- 2020s
2020s
182 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 182 births (43% of all-time use).
Nation by state
Where Nation concentrates geographically, total births since 1997
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.2% |
California share of Nation's total US births 1.2%
5 of 424 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nation? ▼
424 babies have been named Nation since 1997. It currently ranks #4811 among boys. The peak year was 2021 with 44 births.
When was Nation most popular? ▼
Nation was most popular in the 2020s decade with 182 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Nation most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nation are California (5 births).
Is Nation a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Nation is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 424 births, and as a girl's name it has 75 births.
How long has the name Nation been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nation since 1997 -- 29 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nation? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nathan, Nathaniel, Nathanael, Nathanial, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nation's data
- California records the most Nations (5 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 Nation
Nearby Names Like Nation
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nation
Nathan Boy
#62 587,497 births
Nathaniel Boy
#144 287,103 births
Nathanael Boy
#674 22,227 births
Nathanial Boy
#3694 10,578 births
Nathen Boy
#5255 6,146 births
Compare Nation side by side: Nation vs Nathan Nation vs Nathaniel Nation vs Nathanael
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nation
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, 1997–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nation: #4811 Unisex Name - 424 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nation. 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 Nation 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.