Total births
369
Boys' name · since 1923
Per
369 babies named Per in U.S. Social Security records since 1923, with the highest year being 1963. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 369
- total births
- 1923–2020
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 30%
- born in that decade
Per is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 369 have been recorded since 1923.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Per has been recorded 369 times among boys since 1923, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1923 to 2020.
- 369 total births
- 1923–2020 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 30% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
369 boys have been named Per since 1923, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2020.
- 369
- total births
- 1923–2020
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 30%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Per was born in this single decade.
1963
Single peak year
14 babies were named Per in 1963 - its busiest year on record.
Per's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Per splits its recorded history at 1976: 41% of all births land in the more recent half, 59% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1938 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1963 peak of 14 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Per at a glance
Last recorded 2020Peak year
1963
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1923
Per popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1923–2020
- Peak year (1963)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 98 years of records
Per by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Per's strongest decade.
111 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Per births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 6
1920s
6 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1950s
1950s
46 births
- 1960s
1960s
111 births
- 1970s
1970s
74 births
- 1980s
1980s
61 births
- 1990s 30
1990s
30 births
- 2000s 26
2000s
26 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 111 births (30% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Per? ▼
Per has been given to 369 babies in the U.S. since 1923, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2020. 14 babies were born in 1963, its single highest year.
When was Per most popular? ▼
Per was most popular in the 1960s decade with 111 total births. The single peak year was 1963.
How long has the name Per been used? ▼
Records for Per go back to 1923, giving 98 years of history through 2020.
What names are similar to Per? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Perry, Percy, Pernell, Perrin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Per's data
- Per's decade-level peak was the 1960s (111 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Per
Nearby Names Like Per
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Per
Perry Boy
#1238 76,044 births
Percy Boy
#1256 32,204 births
Pernell Boy
3,037 births
Perrin Boy
#3696 1,568 births
Percival Boy
#1768 1,466 births
Compare Per side by side: Per vs Perry Per vs Percy Per vs Pernell
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1923–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Per: Baby Name Since 1923 - 369 Births, Peak 1963." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/per. 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 Per 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 July 2026.