Total births
253,160
Boys' name · since 1880
Norman
Norman has 253,160 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1928 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1308
- among boys today
- 253,160
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Norman is the #1308 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 253,160 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Norman has been recorded 253,160 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1308 nationally and more common than 91% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. 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.
- #1308 among boys today
- 253,160 born since 1880
- 1930s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Norman is currently the #1308 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 253,160 born since 1880, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1308
- among boys today
- 253,160
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Norman vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1308
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Norman was born in this single decade.
1928
Single peak year
5,590 babies were named Norman in 1928 - its busiest year on record.
How Norman compares
253,160 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Norman's all-time total is 690x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Norman | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 253,160 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,590 | 23 | 22,252 |
Norman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Norman's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 27% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 73%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 95 births recorded -- set against the 1928 peak of 5,590, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Norman at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1928
Current rank
#1,308
Active since
1880
Norman popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1928)
- 5,590
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Norman popularity over time - girls
1,602 total births recorded since 1893 (Norman as girls' name)
Norman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Norman's strongest decade.
49,987 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Norman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,235
1880s
1,235 births
- 1890s 1,891
1890s
1,891 births
- 1900s 3,178
1900s
3,178 births
- 1910s
1910s
25,033 births
- 1920s
1920s
49,364 births
- 1930s
1930s
49,987 births
- 1940s
1940s
42,164 births
- 1950s
1950s
33,749 births
- 1960s
1960s
22,753 births
- 1970s 9,885
1970s
9,885 births
- 1980s 5,853
1980s
5,853 births
- 1990s 3,439
1990s
3,439 births
- 2000s 2,071
2000s
2,071 births
- 2010s 1,590
2010s
1,590 births
- 2020s 968
2020s
968 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 49,987 births (20% of all-time use).
How Norman 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 Norman's total volume
Norman vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Norman by state
Where Norman concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 22,921 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 17,330 | 6.8% |
| #3 | California | | 14,598 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 13,523 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 13,382 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 12,820 | 5.1% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 10,464 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Texas | | 8,683 | 3.4% |
New York share of Norman's total US births 9.1%
Even split
22,921 of 253,160 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Norman appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Norman? ▼
Norman has been given to 253,160 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1308 as of the latest data. 5,590 babies were born in 1928, its single highest year.
When was Norman most popular? ▼
Norman was most popular in the 1930s decade with 49,987 total births. The single peak year was 1928.
Where is Norman most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Norman are New York (22,921 births), Pennsylvania (17,330 births), California (14,598 births).
How long has the name Norman been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Norman since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Norman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Norbert, Norris, Normand, Norberto, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Norman's data
- Norman's decade-level peak was the 1930s (49,987 total births); usage has since declined to 968 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Normans (22,921 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Norman
Nearby Names Like Norman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Norman
Norbert Boy
#6211 20,379 births
Norris Boy
#6202 16,456 births
Normand Boy
5,831 births
Norberto Boy
#4222 4,924 births
Norwood Boy
2,909 births
Compare Norman side by side: Norman vs Norbert Norman vs Norris Norman vs Normand
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Norman
Krishiv #1307
1,288 births · Peak 2025
Isiah #1309
24,710 births · Peak 2001
Jakobe #1306
4,883 births · Peak 2020
Rafe #1310
2,935 births · Peak 2025
Aryeh #1305
3,495 births · Peak 2025
Dale #1311
278,156 births · Peak 1958
Santi #1304
1,002 births · Peak 2025
Malakhi #1312
3,043 births · Peak 2019
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. "Norman: #1308 Boys' Name - 253,160 Births, Peak 1928." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/norman. 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 Norman 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.