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.
- #2,856 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,624 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,521
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
Obadiah currently ranks #1624 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 #1624 nationally and more common than 88% 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.
- #2,856 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,624 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,521 born since 1914
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Obadiah ranks #2,856 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,624 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,521 born since 1914, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,856 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,624 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,521
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
Obadiah's 2,521 recorded births place it above 93.72% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
23 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Obadiah compares
2,521 Top 19% higher than 81% 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
Obadiah's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Obadiah | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,521 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 131 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (810 births, 32% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Obadiah sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Obadiah most popular? ▼
Where is Obadiah most popular? ▼
How long has the name Obadiah been used? ▼
What names are similar to Obadiah? ▼
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
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
Compare Obadiah side by side: Obadiah vs Obaloluwa Obadiah vs Oba Obadiah vs Obaida
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Obadiah
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Obadiah: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~111 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, 1914–2025 (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 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 August 2026.