Boys' name · since 1892
Nolen
3,448 babies named Nolen in U.S. Social Security records since 1892, with the highest year being 2009. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,303 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,368 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,448
- born since 1892
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Nolen is the #2368 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,448 recorded since 1892.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nolen has been recorded 3,448 times among boys since 1892, currently ranked #2368 nationally and more common than 83% 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 1892 to 2025.
- #2,303 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,368 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,448 born since 1892
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nolen ranks #2,303 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,368 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,448 born since 1892, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,303 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,368 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,448
- born since 1892
- 2010s
- peak decade
Nolen's 3,448 recorded births place it above 94.93% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Nolen compares
3,448 Top 16% higher than 84% of 13,930 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
Nolen's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nolen | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,448 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 110 | 34 | 22,252 |
Nolen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nolen splits its recorded history at 1966: 68% of all births land in the more recent half, 32% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1900 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 110 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nolen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1892–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 110
- Annual births at peak, across 134 years of records
Nolen popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 2014 (Nolen as girls' name)
Nolen by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (841 births, 24% of the file).
2010s was Nolen's strongest decade.
841 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Nolen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 7
1890s
7 births
- 1900s 16
1900s
16 births
- 1910s 183
1910s
183 births
- 1920s 287
1920s
287 births
- 1930s 221
1930s
221 births
- 1940s 190
1940s
190 births
- 1950s 160
1950s
160 births
- 1960s 95
1960s
95 births
- 1970s 75
1970s
75 births
- 1980s 131
1980s
131 births
- 1990s 213
1990s
213 births
- 2000s
2000s
648 births
- 2010s
2010s
841 births
- 2020s
2020s
381 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 841 births (24% of all-time use).
How Nolen 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 Nolen's total volume
Nolen by state
Where Nolen concentrates geographically, total births since 1892
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 154 | 4.5% |
| #2 | California | | 120 | 3.5% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 102 | 3.0% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 82 | 2.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 63 | 1.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 52 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 51 | 1.5% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 46 | 1.3% |
154 of 3,448 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Nolen appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Nolen's data
- Nolen's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (841 total births) through the 2020s (381) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Nolens (154 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nolen
Nearby Names Like Nolen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nolen
Compare Nolen side by side: Nolen vs Nolan Nolen vs Noland Nolen vs Nolyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nolen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nolen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2009)
Similar record span (~133 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1892–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Nolen 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 August 2026.