Unisex name · since 1947
Pepper
3,306 babies named Pepper in U.S. Social Security records since 1947, with the highest year being 2014. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3,388 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,903 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,306
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
Pepper currently ranks #1903 among unisex names in America, with 3,306 babies recorded since 1947.
Social Security Administration records show Pepper recorded 3,306 times among girls since 1947, holding rank #1903 nationally today, ahead of 89% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1947 to 2025.
- #3,388 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #1,903 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 3,306 born since 1947
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pepper ranks #3,388 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,903 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 3,306 born since 1947, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3,388 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,903 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,306
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
Pepper's 3,306 recorded births place it above 95.31% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
28 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Pepper compares
3,306 Top 17% higher than 83% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Pepper's all-time total is 9x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Pepper | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,306 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 161 | 21 | 19,840 |
Pepper's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Pepper's SSA record in two at 1988 and the more recent half accounts for 73% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 27%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1947, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2014 peak of 161, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Pepper popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1947–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 161
- Annual births at peak, across 79 years of records
Pepper popularity over time - boys
245 total births recorded since 1937 (Pepper as boys' name)
Pepper by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,353 births, 41% of the file).
2010s was Pepper's strongest decade.
1,353 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Pepper births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 45
1950s
45 births
- 1960s 138
1960s
138 births
- 1970s
1970s
552 births
- 1980s 162
1980s
162 births
- 1990s 58
1990s
58 births
- 2000s 191
2000s
191 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,353 births
- 2020s
2020s
802 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,353 births (41% of all-time use).
How Pepper compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Pepper's total volume
Pepper by state
Where Pepper concentrates geographically, total births since 1947
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 335 | 10.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 247 | 7.5% |
| #3 | Washington | | 126 | 3.8% |
| #4 | Utah | | 106 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Florida | | 94 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 49 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Oregon | | 49 | 1.5% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 42 | 1.3% |
335 of 3,306 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Pepper appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Pepper's data
- Pepper's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,353 total births) through the 2020s (802) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Peppers (335 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 Pepper
Nearby Names Like Pepper
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pepper
Compare Pepper side by side: Pepper vs Pepsi Pepper vs Peppi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Pepper
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pepper: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2014)
Similar record span (~78 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, 1947–2025 (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 Pepper 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.