Total births
2,521
Boys' name · since 1914
Obadiah
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 2,521 babies named Obadiah, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1415
- among boys today
- 2,521
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Obadiah currently ranks #1415 among boys' names in America, with 2,521 babies recorded since 1914.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Obadiah has been recorded 2,521 times among boys since 1914, currently ranked #1415 nationally and more common than 90% 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 1914 to 2025.
- #1415 among boys today
- 2,521 born since 1914
- 2010s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Obadiah is currently the #1415 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 2,521 born since 1914, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1415
- among boys today
- 2,521
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Obadiah vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1415
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Obadiah was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
131 babies were named Obadiah in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Obadiah compares
2,521 Top 19% higher than 81% 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
Obadiah's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Obadiah | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,521 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 131 | 23 | 22,252 |
Obadiah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Obadiah's full recorded timeline at 1983, 84% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 16% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1914, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2024 peak of 131 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Obadiah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#1,415
Active since
1914
Obadiah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 131
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Obadiah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Obadiah's strongest decade.
810 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Obadiah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 11
1910s
11 births
- 1920s 53
1920s
53 births
- 1930s 40
1930s
40 births
- 1940s 29
1940s
29 births
- 1950s 35
1950s
35 births
- 1960s 17
1960s
17 births
- 1970s 152
1970s
152 births
- 1980s 166
1980s
166 births
- 1990s 186
1990s
186 births
- 2000s
2000s
346 births
- 2010s
2010s
810 births
- 2020s
2020s
676 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 810 births (32% of all-time use).
How Obadiah 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 Obadiah's total volume
Obadiah vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Obadiah by state
Where Obadiah concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 177 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 119 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 49 | 1.9% |
| #4 | Washington | | 42 | 1.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 37 | 1.5% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 34 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 27 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 24 | 1.0% |
California share of Obadiah's total US births 7.0%
Even split
177 of 2,521 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Obadiah appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Obadiah? ▼
Obadiah has been given to 2,521 babies in the U.S. since 1914, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1415 as of the latest data. 131 babies were born in 2024, its single highest year.
When was Obadiah most popular? ▼
Obadiah was most popular in the 2010s decade with 810 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Obadiah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Obadiah are California (177 births), Texas (119 births), Florida (49 births).
How long has the name Obadiah been used? ▼
Records for Obadiah go back to 1914, giving 112 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Obadiah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Obaloluwa, Oba, Obaida, Obai, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Obadiah's data
- Obadiah's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (810 total births) through the 2020s (676) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Obadiahs (177 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 Obadiah
Nearby Names Like Obadiah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Obadiah
Obaloluwa Boy
#7583 146 births
Oba Boy
67 births
Obaida Boy
#4557 58 births
Obai Boy
35 births
Obada Boy
32 births
Compare Obadiah side by side: Obadiah vs Obaloluwa Obadiah vs Oba Obadiah vs Obaida
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Obadiah
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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Obadiah: #1415 Boys' Name - 2,521 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/obadiah. 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 Obadiah 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.