Boys' name · since 1921

Obrien

Obrien has 209 recorded births since 1921 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1991 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#12,694 of 45,481
all-time among boys
209
born since 1921
1980s
peak decade

Obrien is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 209 have been recorded since 1921.

Obrien has 209 recorded births among boys since 1921, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1921 to 2022.

  • #12,694 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 209 born since 1921
  • 1980s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Obrien ranks #12,694 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 209 born since 1921, peaking in the 1980s.

#12,694 of 45,481
all-time among boys
209
born since 1921
1980s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Obrien's 209 recorded births place it above 72.07% 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.

Obrien's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Obrien's full recorded timeline at 1993, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1921, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 16 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Obrien popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1921–2022

Last recorded 2022
Peak year (1991)
16
Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
05101520 192119841987199019932000200620152022 7

Obrien by decade

1980s is the heaviest window (66 births, 32% of the file).

1980s was Obrien's strongest decade.

66 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.

Obrien births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1980s at 66 births (32% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Obrien? ▼
Since 1921, Social Security records show 209 babies named Obrien. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #12,694 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2022. Its busiest year on record was 1991, with 16 births.
Where does Obrien sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Obrien ranks #12,694 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 Obrien most popular? ▼
Obrien was most popular in the 1980s decade with 66 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
How long has the name Obrien been used? ▼
Obrien has been recorded in Social Security data since 1921, spanning 102 years of data through 2022.
What names are similar to Obrien? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Obrian, Obryan, Obra, Obryant, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Obrien's data

  • Obrien's decade-level peak was the 1980s (66 total births); usage has since declined to 7 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 Obrien

Nearby Names Like Obrien

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

Obrian Boy
482 births
Obryan Boy
301 births
Obra Boy
59 births
Obryant Boy
31 births
Obrempong Boy
#11781 30 births

Compare Obrien side by side: Obrien vs Obrian Obrien vs Obryan Obrien vs Obra

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Garnie
209 births · Peak 1929
Ireland
209 births · Peak 1918
Goerge
209 births · Peak 1985
Nathanal
209 births · Peak 2005
Reg
209 births · Peak 1958
Dian #7277
209 births · Peak 2020
Montray
209 births · Peak 1990
Jerrico
209 births · Peak 1990

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Obrien: 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, 1921–2022 (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 Obrien 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.