Total births
4,960
Girls' name · since 1962
Persephone
Since 1962, U.S. Social Security records show 4,960 babies named Persephone, peaking in 2022. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #736
- among girls today
- 4,960
- born since 1962
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Persephone currently ranks #736 among girls' names in America, with 4,960 babies recorded since 1962.
Persephone has 4,960 recorded births among girls since 1962, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #736 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of girls, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1962 to 2025.
- #736 among girls today
- 4,960 born since 1962
- 2020s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Persephone is currently the #736 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 4,960 born since 1962, peaking in the 2020s.
- #736
- among girls today
- 4,960
- born since 1962
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Persephone vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#736
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Persephone was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
429 babies were named Persephone in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Persephone compares
4,960 Top 13% higher than 87% of 17,726 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
Persephone's all-time total is 13x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Persephone | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,960 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 429 | 48 | 19,840 |
Persephone's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Persephone's SSA record in two at 1996 and the more recent half accounts for 95% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 5%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1969, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2022 peak of 429, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Persephone at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2022
Current rank
#736
Active since
1962
Persephone popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1962–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 429
- Annual births at peak, across 64 years of records
Persephone by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Persephone's strongest decade.
2,261 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Persephone births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 38
1960s
38 births
- 1970s 97
1970s
97 births
- 1980s 71
1980s
71 births
- 1990s 141
1990s
141 births
- 2000s 465
2000s
465 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,887 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,261 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 2,261 births (46% of all-time use).
How Persephone 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 Persephone's total volume
Persephone vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Persephone by state
Where Persephone concentrates geographically, total births since 1962
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 489 | 9.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 481 | 9.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 175 | 3.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 174 | 3.5% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 169 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 151 | 3.0% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 134 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Washington | | 133 | 2.7% |
California share of Persephone's total US births 9.9%
Even split
489 of 4,960 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Persephone appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Persephone? ▼
4,960 babies have been named Persephone since 1962. It currently ranks #736 among girls. The peak year was 2022 with 429 births.
When was Persephone most popular? ▼
Persephone was most popular in the 2020s decade with 2,261 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Persephone most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Persephone are California (489 births), Texas (481 births), Florida (175 births).
How long has the name Persephone been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Persephone since 1962 -- 64 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Persephone? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Perla, Perry, Peri, Perri, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Persephone's data
- California records the most Persephones (489 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Persephone
Nearby Names Like Persephone
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Persephone
Perla Girl
#1307 20,806 births
Perry Girl
#1913 3,691 births
Peri Girl
#5327 2,465 births
Perri Girl
#3653 2,448 births
Perel Girl
#3100 898 births
Compare Persephone side by side: Persephone vs Perla Persephone vs Perry Persephone vs Peri
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Persephone
Celia #735
56,642 births · Peak 1915
Emmie #737
10,387 births · Peak 2018
Winona #734
12,953 births · Peak 2025
Marisol #738
35,041 births · Peak 1996
Karla #733
91,586 births · Peak 1964
Fallon #739
11,634 births · Peak 1982
Louisa #732
21,932 births · Peak 2021
Mckinley #740
13,098 births · Peak 2014
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, 1962–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Persephone: #736 Girls' Name - 4,960 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/persephone. 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 Persephone 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.