Boys' name · since 1921
Northern
45 babies named Northern in U.S. Social Security records since 1921, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #22,947 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 45
- born since 1921
- 1920s
- peak decade
45 boys have been named Northern since 1921, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Northern has been recorded 45 times among boys since 1921, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1921 to 1955.
- #22,947 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 45 born since 1921
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Northern ranks #22,947 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 45 born since 1921, peaking in the 1920s.
- #22,947 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 45
- born since 1921
- 1920s
- peak decade
Northern's 45 recorded births place it above 49.44% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Northern's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Northern's SSA record in two at 1934 and the more recent half accounts for 44% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 56%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1923, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 8, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Northern popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1921–1955
- Peak year (1921)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 35 years of records
Northern by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (19 births, 42% of the file).
1920s was Northern's strongest decade.
19 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Northern births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s
1920s
19 births
- 1930s
1930s
11 births
- 1940s
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 19 births (42% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Northern? ▼
Where does Northern sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Northern most popular? ▼
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What to do with Northern's data
- Northern's decade-level peak was the 1920s (19 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Northern
Nearby Names Like Northern
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Northern
Compare Northern side by side: Northern vs Norman Northern vs Norbert Northern vs Norris
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Northern: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1921)
Similar record span (~34 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, 1921–1955 (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 Northern 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.