Boys' name · since 1880
Octave
Octave has 450 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8,404 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 450
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Octave is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 450 have been recorded since 1880.
Octave has 450 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2024.
- #8,404 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 450 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Octave ranks #8,404 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 450 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #8,404 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 450
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Octave's 450 recorded births place it above 81.51% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Louisiana.
Octave's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Octave's full recorded timeline at 1927, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1898, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 18 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Octave popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2024
- Peak year (1918)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Octave by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (97 births, 22% of the file).
1920s was Octave's strongest decade.
97 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Octave births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
47 births
- 1890s 33
1890s
33 births
- 1900s 20
1900s
20 births
- 1910s
1910s
94 births
- 1920s
1920s
97 births
- 1930s
1930s
76 births
- 1940s
1940s
41 births
- 1950s 15
1950s
15 births
- 1960s 21
1960s
21 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 97 births (22% of all-time use).
Octave by state
Where Octave concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louisiana | | 149 | 33.1% |
149 of 450 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Octave? ▼
Where does Octave sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Octave most popular? ▼
Where is Octave most popular? ▼
How long has the name Octave been used? ▼
What names are similar to Octave? ▼
What to do with Octave's data
- Octave's decade-level peak was the 1920s (97 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Louisiana records the most Octaves (149 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Octave
Nearby Names Like Octave
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Octave
Compare Octave side by side: Octave vs Octavio Octave vs Octavius Octave vs Octavious
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Octave: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~144 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, 1880–2024 (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 Octave 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.