Boys' name · since 1888

Olney

Olney has 196 recorded births since 1888 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1919 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#13,101 of 45,481
all-time among boys
196
born since 1888
1920s
peak decade

Olney sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 196 recorded since 1888.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Olney has been recorded 196 times among boys since 1888, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 1963.

  • #13,101 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 196 born since 1888
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Olney ranks #13,101 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 196 born since 1888, peaking in the 1920s.

#13,101 of 45,481
all-time among boys
196
born since 1888
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Olney's 196 recorded births place it above 71.16% 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.

Olney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Olney's full recorded timeline at 1923, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1919 peak of 21 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Olney popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–1963

Last recorded 1963
Peak year (1919)
21
Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
0510152025 188819141917192119251928193219421963 5

Olney by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (77 births, 39% of the file).

1920s was Olney's strongest decade.

77 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.

Olney births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 77 births (39% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Olney? ▼
Since 1888, Social Security records show 196 babies named Olney. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #13,101 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1963. Its busiest year on record was 1919, with 21 births.
Where does Olney sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Olney ranks #13,101 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 Olney most popular? ▼
Olney was most popular in the 1920s decade with 77 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
How long has the name Olney been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Olney since 1888 -- 76 years through the most recent 1963 data.

What to do with Olney's data

  • Olney's decade-level peak was the 1920s (77 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1960s -- 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 Olney

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Stokes #8936
196 births · Peak 1916
Virl
196 births · Peak 1922
Eldredge
196 births · Peak 1916
Darrall
196 births · Peak 1961
Fredrico
196 births · Peak 1979
Asia
196 births · Peak 1989
Kia
196 births · Peak 1993
Laterrance
196 births · Peak 1980

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Olney: 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, 1888–1963 (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 Olney 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.