Total births
21,220
Girls' name · since 1880
Neva
21,220 babies named Neva in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3696
- among girls today
- 21,220
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Neva is the #3696 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 21,220 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Neva recorded 21,220 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #3696 nationally today, ahead of 79% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3696 among girls today
- 21,220 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 79% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Neva is currently the #3696 girls' name in America, more common than 79% of girls - 21,220 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3696
- among girls today
- 21,220
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Neva vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3696
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 79% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Neva was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
558 babies were named Neva in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Neva compares
21,220 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Neva's all-time total is 56x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Neva | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,220 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 558 | 48 | 19,840 |
Neva's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Neva's full recorded timeline at 1953, 25% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 75% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 15 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 558 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Neva at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#3,696
Active since
1880
Neva popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 558
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Neva popularity over time - boys
6 total births recorded since 1918 (Neva as boys' name)
Neva by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Neva's strongest decade.
4,294 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Neva births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 375
1880s
375 births
- 1890s 1,125
1890s
1,125 births
- 1900s 1,432
1900s
1,432 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,454 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,294 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,990 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,830 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,766 births
- 1960s 950
1960s
950 births
- 1970s 535
1970s
535 births
- 1980s 353
1980s
353 births
- 1990s 286
1990s
286 births
- 2000s 633
2000s
633 births
- 2010s 851
2010s
851 births
- 2020s 346
2020s
346 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 4,294 births (20% of all-time use).
How Neva compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Neva's total volume
Neva vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Neva by state
Where Neva concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,498 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Missouri | | 915 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 910 | 4.3% |
| #4 | California | | 840 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 818 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 760 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Kansas | | 723 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 611 | 2.9% |
Texas share of Neva's total US births 7.1%
Even split
1,498 of 21,220 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 39 reporting states.
Neva appears in 39 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Neva? ▼
21,220 babies have been named Neva since 1880. It currently ranks #3696 among girls. The peak year was 1920 with 558 births.
When was Neva most popular? ▼
Neva was most popular in the 1920s decade with 4,294 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Neva most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Neva are Texas (1,498 births), Missouri (915 births), Oklahoma (910 births).
How long has the name Neva been used? ▼
Neva has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Neva? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nevaeh, Neveah, Nevada, Neve, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Neva's data
- Neva's decade-level peak was the 1920s (4,294 total births); usage has since declined to 346 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Nevas (1,498 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Neva
Nearby Names Like Neva
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Neva
Nevaeh Girl
#133 98,497 births
Neveah Girl
#1301 5,449 births
Nevada Girl
#3965 3,190 births
Neve Girl
#3368 1,608 births
Nevaeha Girl
#10758 1,070 births
Compare Neva side by side: Neva vs Nevaeh Neva vs Neveah Neva vs Nevada
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Neva
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. "Neva: #3696 Girls' Name - 21,220 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/neva. 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 Neva 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.