Boys' name · since 1880
Perley
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,020 babies named Perley, peaking in 1915. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,074 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,020
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Perley is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,020 have been recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Perley recorded 1,020 times among boys since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1964.
- #5,074 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,020 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Perley ranks #5,074 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,020 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5,074 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,020
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Perley's 1,020 recorded births place it above 88.84% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Maine.
Perley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Perley's full recorded timeline at 1921, 54% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 46% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1889, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1915 peak of 30 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Perley popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1964
- Peak year (1915)
- 30
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Perley popularity over time - girls
32 total births recorded since 1890 (Perley as girls' name)
Perley by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (220 births, 22% of the file).
1920s was Perley's strongest decade.
220 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Perley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
118 births
- 1890s
1890s
88 births
- 1900s 58
1900s
58 births
- 1910s
1910s
179 births
- 1920s
1920s
220 births
- 1930s
1930s
175 births
- 1940s
1940s
106 births
- 1950s 62
1950s
62 births
- 1960s 14
1960s
14 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 220 births (22% of all-time use).
How Perley 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 Perley's total volume
Perley by state
Where Perley concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Maine | | 204 | 20.0% |
| #2 | New Hampshire | | 31 | 3.0% |
| #3 | Vermont | | 23 | 2.3% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 15 | 1.5% |
204 of 1,020 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Perley's data
- Perley's decade-level peak was the 1920s (220 total births); usage has since declined to 14 in the 1960s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Maine records the most Perleys (204 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Maine names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Perley
Nearby Names Like Perley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Perley
Compare Perley side by side: Perley vs Perry Perley vs Percy Perley vs Pernell
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Perley: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1915)
Similar record span (~84 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, 1880–1964 (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 Perley 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.