Unisex name · since 1909
Oval
Oval has 500 recorded births since 1909 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,901 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 500
- born since 1909
- 1920s
- peak decade
Oval sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 500 recorded since 1909.
Oval has 500 recorded births among boys since 1909, 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 1909 to 1952.
- #7,901 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 500 born since 1909
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Oval ranks #7,901 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 500 born since 1909, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7,901 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 500
- born since 1909
- 1920s
- peak decade
Oval's 500 recorded births place it above 82.62% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Kentucky.
Oval's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Oval splits its recorded history at 1929: 30% of all births land in the more recent half, 70% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1909 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 34 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Oval popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–1952
- Peak year (1920)
- 34
- Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
Oval popularity over time - girls
101 total births recorded since 1898 (Oval as girls' name)
Oval by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (186 births, 37% of the file).
1920s was Oval's strongest decade.
186 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Oval births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
164 births
- 1920s
1920s
186 births
- 1930s 74
1930s
74 births
- 1940s 60
1940s
60 births
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 186 births (37% of all-time use).
How Oval compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Oval's total volume
Oval by state
Where Oval concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 106 | 21.2% |
| #2 | Arkansas | | 6 | 1.2% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 6 | 1.2% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 5 | 1.0% |
106 of 500 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Oval's data
- Oval's decade-level peak was the 1920s (186 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Ovals (106 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Oval
Nearby Names Like Oval
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Oval
Compare Oval side by side: Oval vs Ova Oval vs Ovadia
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Oval: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1920)
Similar record span (~43 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, 1909–1952 (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 Oval 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.