Boys' name · since 1880
Owen
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 245,644 babies named Owen, peaking in 2016. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #158 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #31 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 245,644
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Owen is the #31 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 245,644 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Owen has been recorded 245,644 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #31 nationally and more common than 99.8% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #158 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #31 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 245,644 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Owen ranks #158 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #31 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 245,644 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #158 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #31 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 245,644
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Owen's 245,644 recorded births place it above 99.65% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Owen compares
245,644 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 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
Owen's all-time total is 666x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Owen | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 245,644 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10,305 | 34 | 22,252 |
Owen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Owen's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 91% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 9%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1883, with only 63 births recorded -- set against the 2016 peak of 10,305, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Owen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 10,305
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Owen popularity over time - girls
676 total births recorded since 1915 (Owen as girls' name)
Owen by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (91,098 births, 37% of the file).
2010s was Owen's strongest decade.
91,098 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Owen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 758
1880s
758 births
- 1890s 761
1890s
761 births
- 1900s 860
1900s
860 births
- 1910s 3,791
1910s
3,791 births
- 1920s 5,873
1920s
5,873 births
- 1930s 4,285
1930s
4,285 births
- 1940s 3,922
1940s
3,922 births
- 1950s 3,945
1950s
3,945 births
- 1960s 2,916
1960s
2,916 births
- 1970s 3,017
1970s
3,017 births
- 1980s 4,050
1980s
4,050 births
- 1990s 9,658
1990s
9,658 births
- 2000s
2000s
61,878 births
- 2010s
2010s
91,098 births
- 2020s
2020s
48,832 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 91,098 births (37% of all-time use).
How Owen 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 Owen's total volume
Owen by state
Where Owen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19,310 | 7.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 14,577 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 13,322 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 13,195 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Texas | | 11,386 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 10,815 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 10,009 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 8,611 | 3.5% |
19,310 of 245,644 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Owen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Owen? ▼
Where does Owen sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Owen most popular? ▼
Where is Owen most popular? ▼
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What to do with Owen's data
- Owen's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (91,098 total births) through the 2020s (48,832) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Owens (19,310 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Owen
Nearby Names Like Owen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Owen
Compare Owen side by side: Owen vs Owens Owen vs Owenn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Owen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Owen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2016)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Owen 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.