Total births
819
Boys' name · since 1950
Peterson
819 babies named Peterson in U.S. Social Security records since 1950, with the highest year being 1989. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8429
- among boys today
- 819
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other boys
Peterson currently ranks #8429 among boys' names in America, with 819 babies recorded since 1950.
Peterson has 819 recorded births among boys since 1950, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8429 as of the latest data, more common than 41% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2025.
- #8429 among boys today
- 819 born since 1950
- 1980s peak decade
- 41% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Peterson is currently the #8429 boys' name in America, more common than 41% of boys - 819 born since 1950, peaking in the 1980s.
- #8429
- among boys today
- 819
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other boys
Peterson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8429
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 41% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Peterson was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
28 babies were named Peterson in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Peterson compares
819 Top 34% higher than 66% 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
Peterson's all-time total is 123% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Peterson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 819 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 28 | 23 | 22,252 |
Peterson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Peterson splits its recorded history at 1993: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1950 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1989 peak of 28 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Peterson at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#8,429
Active since
1950
Peterson popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 28
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Peterson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Peterson's strongest decade.
178 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Peterson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 37
1950s
37 births
- 1960s 50
1960s
50 births
- 1970s 69
1970s
69 births
- 1980s
1980s
178 births
- 1990s
1990s
175 births
- 2000s
2000s
143 births
- 2010s
2010s
114 births
- 2020s 53
2020s
53 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 178 births (22% of all-time use).
How Peterson 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 Peterson's total volume
Peterson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Peterson by state
Where Peterson concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Florida | | 175 | 21.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 16 | 2.0% |
| #3 | California | | 5 | 0.6% |
Florida share of Peterson's total US births 21.4%
Even split
175 of 819 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Peterson? ▼
Since 1950, Social Security records show 819 babies named Peterson. Today it holds rank #8429 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1989, with 28 births.
When was Peterson most popular? ▼
Peterson was most popular in the 1980s decade with 178 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Peterson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Peterson are Florida (175 births), New York (16 births), California (5 births).
How long has the name Peterson been used? ▼
Peterson has been recorded in Social Security data since 1950, spanning 76 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Peterson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Peter, Pete, Petros, Petar, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Peterson's data
- Peterson's decade-level peak was the 1980s (178 total births); usage has since declined to 53 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Florida records the most Petersons (175 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Florida 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 Peterson
Nearby Names Like Peterson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Peterson
Peter Boy
#192 589,588 births
Pete Boy
#3045 43,530 births
Petros Boy
#5723 715 births
Petar Boy
#6260 641 births
Petro Boy
160 births
Compare Peterson side by side: Peterson vs Peter Peterson vs Pete Peterson vs Petros
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Peterson
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, 1950–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Peterson: #8429 Boys' Name - 819 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/peterson. 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 Peterson 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.