Total births
687
Boys' name · since 1880
Parley
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 687 babies named Parley, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8993
- among boys today
- 687
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
687 babies have been named Parley since 1880, making it today's #8993 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Parley has been recorded 687 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #8993 nationally and more common than 37% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. 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.
- #8993 among boys today
- 687 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 37% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Parley is currently the #8993 boys' name in America, more common than 37% of boys - 687 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #8993
- among boys today
- 687
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Parley vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8993
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 37% of names given to boys today.
1910s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Parley was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
25 babies were named Parley in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Parley compares
687 Top 37% higher than 63% 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
Parley's all-time total is 87% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Parley | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 687 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 25 | 23 | 22,252 |
Parley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Parley's full recorded timeline at 1951, 46% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 54% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 25 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Parley at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#8,993
Active since
1880
Parley popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 25
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Parley popularity over time - girls
6 total births recorded since 2021 (Parley as girls' name)
Parley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Parley's strongest decade.
126 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Parley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 21
1880s
21 births
- 1890s 7
1890s
7 births
- 1900s 11
1900s
11 births
- 1910s
1910s
126 births
- 1920s
1920s
77 births
- 1930s
1930s
71 births
- 1940s 50
1940s
50 births
- 1950s 36
1950s
36 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s 19
1980s
19 births
- 1990s
1990s
51 births
- 2000s
2000s
72 births
- 2010s
2010s
99 births
- 2020s 42
2020s
42 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 126 births (18% of all-time use).
How Parley 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 Parley's total volume
Parley vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Parley by state
Where Parley concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Parley? ▼
687 babies have been named Parley since 1880. It currently ranks #8993 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 25 births.
When was Parley most popular? ▼
Parley was most popular in the 1910s decade with 126 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Parley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Parley are Utah (177 births), Idaho (10 births).
How long has the name Parley been used? ▼
Records for Parley go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Parley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Parker, Paris, Parrish, Parth, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Parley's data
- Parley's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (126 total births) through the 2020s (42) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Utah records the most Parleys (177 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Utah 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 Parley
Nearby Names Like Parley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Parley
Parker Boy
#97 130,941 births
Paris Boy
#2561 9,260 births
Parrish Boy
#7856 2,706 births
Parth Boy
#3249 2,173 births
Parris Boy
#11051 1,903 births
Compare Parley side by side: Parley vs Parker Parley vs Paris Parley vs Parrish
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Parley
Al #8992
17,079 births · Peak 1959
Odie #8994
2,623 births · Peak 1918
Horatio #8991
1,443 births · Peak 2007
Len #8995
4,514 births · Peak 1960
Lafayette #8990
4,861 births · Peak 1921
Allison #8996
3,825 births · Peak 1917
Washington #8989
2,644 births · Peak 1921
Candido #8997
2,087 births · Peak 1996
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. "Parley: #8993 Boys' Name - 687 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/parley. 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 Parley 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.