Total births
43
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.
- #7841
- among boys today
- 43
- born since 1921
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other boys
43 babies have been named Onan since 1921, making it today's #7841 boys' name.
Onan has 43 recorded births among boys since 1921, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7841 as of the latest data, more common than 45% of boys, 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.
- #7841 among boys today
- 43 born since 1921
- 2020s peak decade
- 45% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Onan is currently the #7841 boys' name in America, more common than 45% of boys - 43 born since 1921, peaking in the 2020s.
- #7841
- among boys today
- 43
- born since 1921
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other boys
Onan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7841
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 45% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
56% of everyone ever named Onan was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
10 babies were named Onan in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Onan compares
43 15th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Onan's all-time total is 88% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Onan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 43 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10 | 23 | 22,252 |
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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#7,841
Active since
1921
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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? ▼
Since 1921, Social Security records show 43 babies named Onan. Today it holds rank #7841 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2024, with 10 births.
When was Onan most popular? ▼
Onan was most popular in the 2020s decade with 24 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
How long has the name Onan been used? ▼
Records for Onan go back to 1921, giving 104 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Onan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Onaje, Ona, Onathan, Onas, and 3 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
Keep exploring Onan
Nearby Names Like Onan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Onan
Onaje Boy
#9184 109 births
Ona Boy
92 births
Onathan Boy
47 births
Onas Boy
29 births
Onassis Boy
18 births
Compare Onan side by side: Onan vs Onaje Onan vs Ona Onan vs Onathan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Onan
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, 1921–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Onan: #7841 Boys' Name - 43 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/onan. 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 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 July 2026.