Boys' name · since 1927

Nowell

167 babies named Nowell in U.S. Social Security records since 1927, with the highest year being 1969. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#14,066 of 45,481
all-time among boys
167
born since 1927
1960s
peak decade

Nowell is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 167 have been recorded since 1927.

Social Security Administration records show Nowell recorded 167 times among boys since 1927, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1927 to 2022.

  • #14,066 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 167 born since 1927
  • 1960s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nowell ranks #14,066 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 167 born since 1927, peaking in the 1960s.

#14,066 of 45,481
all-time among boys
167
born since 1927
1960s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Nowell's 167 recorded births place it above 69.05% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Nowell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Nowell's SSA record in two at 1979 and the more recent half accounts for 50% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 50%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1927, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1969 peak of 10, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Nowell popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1927–2022

Last recorded 2022
Peak year (1969)
10
Annual births at peak, across 96 years of records
4681012 19271957196619741984199520082022 5

Nowell by decade

1960s is the heaviest window (38 births, 23% of the file).

1960s was Nowell's strongest decade.

38 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.

Nowell births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1960s at 38 births (23% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Nowell? ▼
Since 1927, Social Security records show 167 babies named Nowell. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #14,066 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2022. Its busiest year on record was 1969, with 10 births.
Where does Nowell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nowell ranks #14,066 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Nowell most popular? ▼
Nowell was most popular in the 1960s decade with 38 total births. The single peak year was 1969.
How long has the name Nowell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nowell since 1927 -- 96 years through the most recent 2022 data.
What names are similar to Nowell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nowah, Nowa. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Nowell's data

  • Nowell's decade-level peak was the 1960s (38 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- 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 Nowell

Nearby Names Like Nowell

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nowell

Nowah Boy
#13229 15 births
Nowa Boy
#13198 10 births

Compare Nowell side by side: Nowell vs Nowah Nowell vs Nowa

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Cordie
167 births · Peak 1916
Lauris
167 births · Peak 1920
Burwell
167 births · Peak 1918
Ervine
167 births · Peak 1918
Atilano
167 births · Peak 1915
Wynne
167 births · Peak 1966
Vonzell
167 births · Peak 1977
Beni #4906
167 births · Peak 2025

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Nowell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1927–2022 (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 Nowell 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.