Total births
209
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.
- 209
- total births
- 1921–2022
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 32%
- born in that 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.
- 209 total births
- 1921–2022 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 32% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
209 boys have been named Obrien since 1921, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2022.
- 209
- total births
- 1921–2022
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 32%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Obrien was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
16 babies were named Obrien in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2022Peak year
1991
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1921
Obrien popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1921–2022
- Peak year (1991)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Obrien by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s
1980s
66 births
- 1990s
1990s
62 births
- 2000s
2000s
37 births
- 2010s 21
2010s
21 births
- 2020s 7
2020s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 66 births (32% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Obrien? ▼
Since 1921, Social Security records show 209 babies named Obrien. The most recent recorded year was 2022. Its busiest year on record was 1991, with 16 births.
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.
- 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 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
#10810 30 births
Compare Obrien side by side: Obrien vs Obrian Obrien vs Obryan Obrien vs Obra
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1921–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Obrien: Baby Name Since 1921 - 209 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/obrien. 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 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 June 2026.