Total births
17,292
Boys' name · since 1880
Ned
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 17,292 babies named Ned, peaking in 1939. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #7258
- among boys today
- 17,292
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
17,292 babies have been named Ned since 1880, making it today's #7258 boys' name.
Ned has 17,292 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7258 as of the latest data, more common than 49% of boys, 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 2025.
- #7258 among boys today
- 17,292 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 49% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ned is currently the #7258 boys' name in America, more common than 49% of boys - 17,292 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7258
- among boys today
- 17,292
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
Ned vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7258
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 49% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Ned was born in this single decade.
1939
Single peak year
319 babies were named Ned in 1939 - its busiest year on record.
How Ned compares
17,292 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Ned's all-time total is 47x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ned | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,292 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 319 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ned's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ned's full recorded timeline at 1953, 30% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 70% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2017, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1939 peak of 319 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ned at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1939
Current rank
#7,258
Active since
1880
Ned popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1939)
- 319
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ned popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1931 (Ned as girls' name)
Ned by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ned's strongest decade.
2,850 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Ned births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 285
1880s
285 births
- 1890s 350
1890s
350 births
- 1900s 367
1900s
367 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,877 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,850 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,710 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,786 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,596 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,533 births
- 1970s 777
1970s
777 births
- 1980s 513
1980s
513 births
- 1990s 281
1990s
281 births
- 2000s 178
2000s
178 births
- 2010s 123
2010s
123 births
- 2020s 66
2020s
66 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,850 births (16% of all-time use).
How Ned 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 Ned's total volume
Ned vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ned by state
Where Ned concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ohio | | 1,458 | 8.4% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 1,063 | 6.1% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 952 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Indiana | | 670 | 3.9% |
| #5 | New York | | 629 | 3.6% |
| #6 | California | | 618 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 580 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Texas | | 558 | 3.2% |
Ohio share of Ned's total US births 8.4%
Even split
1,458 of 17,292 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Ned appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ned? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 17,292 babies named Ned. Today it holds rank #7258 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1939, with 319 births.
When was Ned most popular? ▼
Ned was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,850 total births. The single peak year was 1939.
Where is Ned most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ned are Ohio (1,458 births), Pennsylvania (1,063 births), North Carolina (952 births).
How long has the name Ned been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ned since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ned? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nedim, Nedal, Neddie, Neddy, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ned's data
- Ned's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,850 total births); usage has since declined to 66 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Ohio records the most Neds (1,458 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Ohio 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 Ned
Nearby Names Like Ned
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ned
Nedim Boy
84 births
Nedal Boy
68 births
Neddie Boy
32 births
Neddy Boy
16 births
Nedved Boy
8 births
Compare Ned side by side: Ned vs Nedim Ned vs Nedal Ned vs Neddie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ned
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. "Ned: #7258 Boys' Name - 17,292 Births, Peak 1939." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ned. 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 Ned 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.