Total births
52,096
Unisex name · since 1880
Noel
Noel has 52,096 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2014 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #434
- among boys today
- 52,096
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Noel currently ranks #434 among unisex names in America, with 52,096 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Noel has been recorded 52,096 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #434 nationally and more common than 97% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. 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.
- #434 among boys today
- 52,096 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Noel is currently the #434 unisex name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 52,096 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #434
- among boys today
- 52,096
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Noel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#434
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Noel was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
901 babies were named Noel in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Noel compares
52,096 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Noel's all-time total is 142x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Noel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 52,096 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 901 | 23 | 22,252 |
Noel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Noel splits its recorded history at 1953: 77% of all births land in the more recent half, 23% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2014 peak of 901 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Noel at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2014
Current rank
#434
Active since
1880
Noel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 901
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Noel popularity over time - girls
15,284 total births recorded since 1909 (Noel as girls' name)
Noel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Noel's strongest decade.
7,613 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Noel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 95
1880s
95 births
- 1890s 155
1890s
155 births
- 1900s 302
1900s
302 births
- 1910s 1,378
1910s
1,378 births
- 1920s 2,115
1920s
2,115 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,298 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,541 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,646 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,664 births
- 1970s
1970s
5,135 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,773 births
- 1990s
1990s
5,271 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,814 births
- 2010s
2010s
7,613 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,296 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 7,613 births (15% of all-time use).
How Noel 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 Noel's total volume
Noel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Noel by state
Where Noel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 8,479 | 16.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 6,932 | 13.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 5,975 | 11.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 2,936 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 2,104 | 4.0% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 1,526 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,215 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,061 | 2.0% |
California share of Noel's total US births 16.3%
Even split
8,479 of 52,096 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Noel appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Noel? ▼
52,096 babies have been named Noel since 1880. It currently ranks #434 among boys. The peak year was 2014 with 901 births.
When was Noel most popular? ▼
Noel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 7,613 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Noel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Noel are California (8,479 births), Texas (6,932 births), New York (5,975 births).
Is Noel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Noel is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 52,096 births, and as a girl's name it has 15,284 births.
How long has the name Noel been used? ▼
Noel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Noel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Noe, Noeh, Noelle, Noell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Noel's data
- Noel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (7,613 total births) through the 2020s (4,296) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Noels (8,479 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 Noel
Nearby Names Like Noel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Noel
Noe Boy
#770 23,494 births
Noeh Boy
#10476 154 births
Noelle Boy
#10161 115 births
Noell Boy
88 births
Noemi Boy
69 births
Compare Noel side by side: Noel vs Noe Noel vs Noeh Noel vs Noelle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Noel
Dalton #433
85,710 births · Peak 1998
Sean #435
423,637 births · Peak 1990
Kane #432
19,521 births · Peak 2018
Benson #436
14,312 births · Peak 2025
Lewis #431
155,766 births · Peak 1921
Clark #437
50,851 births · Peak 1961
Kameron #430
39,012 births · Peak 2015
Miller #438
11,172 births · Peak 2025
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. "Noel: #434 Unisex Name - 52,096 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/noel. 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 Noel 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.