Boys' name · since 1883

Oley

373 babies named Oley in U.S. Social Security records since 1883, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

373
total births
1883–1964
years on record
1920s
peak decade
28%
born in that decade

Oley is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 373 have been recorded since 1883.

Oley has 373 recorded births among boys since 1883, 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 1883 to 1964.

  • 373 total births
  • 1883–1964 years on record
  • 1920s peak decade
  • 28% born in that decade

Data updated Jul 2026

The verdict

373 boys have been named Oley since 1883, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1964.

373
total births
1883–1964
years on record
1920s
peak decade
28%
born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade

28% of everyone ever named Oley was born in this single decade.

1922
Single peak year

15 babies were named Oley in 1922 - its busiest year on record.

Oley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Oley's SSA record in two at 1931 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1883, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1922 peak of 15, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Oley at a glance

Last recorded 1964

Total births

373

Since 1883

82 years of records

Peak year

1922

15 births that year

Strongest decade: 1920s

Current rank

Unranked

Outside the modern top-1,000

As of 1964

Active since

1883

Recorded for 82 years

Last year on file: 1964

Oley popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–1964

Last recorded 1964
Peak year (1922)
15
Annual births at peak, across 82 years of records
05101520 188319121918192419331939194719591964 7

Oley popularity over time - girls

5 total births recorded since 1914 (Oley as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 5 births
5 1914 5

Oley by decade

Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance

1920s was Oley's strongest decade.

104 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.

Oley births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 104 births (28% of all-time use).

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

Oley by state

Where Oley concentrates geographically, total births since 1883

Geographically diffuse
Top 1 states by recorded births for the name Oley
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 West Virginia
22 5.9%
West Virginia share of Oley's total US births 5.9%

22 of 373 births nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Oley?
373 babies have been named Oley since 1883. It was last recorded in 1964. The peak year was 1922 with 15 births.
When was Oley most popular?
Oley was most popular in the 1920s decade with 104 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Oley most popular?
The top states for the name Oley are West Virginia (22 births).
How long has the name Oley been used?
Records for Oley go back to 1883, giving 82 years of history through 1964.
What names are similar to Oley?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Olen, Ole, Oleg, Olegario, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Oley's data

  • Oley's decade-level peak was the 1920s (104 total births); usage has since declined to 23 in the 1960s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • West Virginia records the most Oleys (22 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. West Virginia 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.

Data Sources

Data as of July 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, 1883–1964 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Cite this page

NameAlmanac Editorial. "Oley: Baby Name Since 1883 - 373 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/oley. 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 Oley 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 July 2026.