Total births
76,044
Boys' name · since 1880
Perry
Perry has 76,044 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1238
- among boys today
- 76,044
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Perry currently ranks #1238 among boys' names in America, with 76,044 babies recorded since 1880.
Perry has 76,044 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1238 as of the latest data, more common than 91% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1238 among boys today
- 76,044 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Perry is currently the #1238 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 76,044 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1238
- among boys today
- 76,044
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Perry vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1238
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Perry was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
2,751 babies were named Perry in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Perry compares
76,044 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Perry's all-time total is 207x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Perry | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 76,044 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,751 | 23 | 22,252 |
Perry's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Perry's full recorded timeline at 1953, 61% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 39% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1894, with just 78 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 2,751 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Perry at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#1,238
Active since
1880
Perry popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 2,751
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Perry popularity over time - girls
3,691 total births recorded since 1883 (Perry as girls' name)
Perry by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Perry's strongest decade.
17,078 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Perry births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,255
1880s
1,255 births
- 1890s 989
1890s
989 births
- 1900s 1,047
1900s
1,047 births
- 1910s 3,636
1910s
3,636 births
- 1920s 5,838
1920s
5,838 births
- 1930s 5,411
1930s
5,411 births
- 1940s
1940s
7,778 births
- 1950s
1950s
17,078 births
- 1960s
1960s
15,121 births
- 1970s 5,351
1970s
5,351 births
- 1980s 4,604
1980s
4,604 births
- 1990s 3,602
1990s
3,602 births
- 2000s 2,083
2000s
2,083 births
- 2010s 1,391
2010s
1,391 births
- 2020s 860
2020s
860 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 17,078 births (22% of all-time use).
How Perry 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 Perry's total volume
Perry vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Perry by state
Where Perry concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 4,996 | 6.6% |
| #2 | California | | 4,484 | 5.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 3,681 | 4.8% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 3,317 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 3,292 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 3,140 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 3,136 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 2,903 | 3.8% |
Texas share of Perry's total US births 6.6%
Even split
4,996 of 76,044 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Perry appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Perry? ▼
76,044 babies have been named Perry since 1880. It currently ranks #1238 among boys. The peak year was 1959 with 2,751 births.
When was Perry most popular? ▼
Perry was most popular in the 1950s decade with 17,078 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Perry most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Perry are Texas (4,996 births), California (4,484 births), New York (3,681 births).
How long has the name Perry been used? ▼
Perry has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Perry? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Percy, Pernell, Perrin, Percival, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Perry's data
- Perry's decade-level peak was the 1950s (17,078 total births); usage has since declined to 860 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Perrys (4,996 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Perry
Nearby Names Like Perry
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Perry
Percy Boy
#1256 32,204 births
Pernell Boy
3,037 births
Perrin Boy
#3696 1,568 births
Percival Boy
#1768 1,466 births
Perseus Boy
#1281 1,390 births
Compare Perry side by side: Perry vs Percy Perry vs Pernell Perry vs Perrin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Perry
Kashmir #1237
1,357 births · Peak 2022
Kaizer #1239
1,367 births · Peak 2024
Cayde #1236
1,676 births · Peak 2019
Endrick #1240
362 births · Peak 2024
Davion #1235
13,112 births · Peak 2007
Francesco #1241
8,446 births · Peak 2006
Niklaus #1234
2,430 births · Peak 2021
Amar #1242
4,989 births · Peak 2023
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. "Perry: #1238 Boys' Name - 76,044 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/perry. 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 Perry 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.