Total births
245,644
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.
- #26
- among boys today
- 245,644
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Owen is the #26 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 #26 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.
- #26 among boys today
- 245,644 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Owen is currently the #26 boys' name in America, more common than 99.8% of boys - 245,644 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #26
- among boys today
- 245,644
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
Owen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#26
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Owen was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
10,305 babies were named Owen in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Owen compares
245,644 Top 1% higher than 99% of 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
Owen's all-time total is 669x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Owen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 245,644 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10,305 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2016
Current rank
#26
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Owen's total US births 7.9%
Even split
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? ▼
Owen has been given to 245,644 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #26 as of the latest data. 10,305 babies were born in 2016, its single highest year.
When was Owen most popular? ▼
Owen was most popular in the 2010s decade with 91,098 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Owen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Owen are California (19,310 births), New York (14,577 births), Ohio (13,322 births).
How long has the name Owen been used? ▼
Records for Owen go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Owen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Owens, Owenn. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 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
Elias #25
129,263 births · Peak 2025
Alexander #27
736,123 births · Peak 1993
Leo #24
259,988 births · Peak 2022
Dylan #28
418,679 births · Peak 2001
Luca #23
77,521 births · Peak 2025
Santiago #29
103,828 births · Peak 2025
Hudson #22
114,287 births · Peak 2025
Julian #30
264,985 births · Peak 2017
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Owen: #26 Boys' Name - 245,644 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/owen. 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 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 June 2026.