Total births
500
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.
- 500
- total births
- 1909–1952
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that 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.
- 500 total births
- 1909–1952 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 37% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
500 boys have been named Oval since 1909, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1952.
- 500
- total births
- 1909–1952
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Oval was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
34 babies were named Oval in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1952Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1909
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
Kentucky share of Oval's total US births 21.2%
Even split
106 of 500 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Oval? ▼
Oval has been given to 500 babies in the U.S. since 1909, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1952. 34 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Oval most popular? ▼
Oval was most popular in the 1920s decade with 186 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Oval most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Oval are Kentucky (106 births), Arkansas (6 births), Oklahoma (6 births).
Is Oval a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Oval is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 500 births, and as a girl's name it has 101 births.
How long has the name Oval been used? ▼
Records for Oval go back to 1909, giving 44 years of history through 1952.
What names are similar to Oval? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ova, Ovadia. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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.
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
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Oval: Baby Name Since 1909 - 500 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/oval. 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 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 June 2026.