Boys' name · since 1921
Onan
Since 1921, U.S. Social Security records show 43 babies named Onan, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #23,249 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 43
- born since 1921
- 2020s
- peak decade
Onan sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 43 recorded since 1921.
Onan has 43 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 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1921 to 2024.
- #23,249 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 43 born since 1921
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Onan ranks #23,249 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 43 born since 1921, peaking in the 2020s.
- #23,249 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 43
- born since 1921
- 2020s
- peak decade
Onan's 43 recorded births place it above 48.79% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Onan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Onan splits its recorded history at 2022: 56% of all births land in the more recent half, 44% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2011 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Onan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1921–2024
- Peak year (2024)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 104 years of records
Onan by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (24 births, 56% of the file).
2020s was Onan's strongest decade.
24 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 56% of all-time use.
Onan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 7
1920s
7 births
- 2000s 7
2000s
7 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s
2020s
24 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 24 births (56% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Onan? ▼
Where does Onan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Onan most popular? ▼
How long has the name Onan been used? ▼
What names are similar to Onan? ▼
Keep exploring Onan
Nearby Names Like Onan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Onan
Compare Onan side by side: Onan vs Onaje Onan vs Ona Onan vs Onathan
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Onan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~103 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, 1921–2024 (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 Onan 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.