Boys' name · since 1918
Phelps
Since 1918, U.S. Social Security records show 59 babies named Phelps, peaking in 1929. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #21,019 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 59
- born since 1918
- 1920s
- peak decade
59 boys have been named Phelps since 1918, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Phelps has 59 recorded births among boys since 1918, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2014.
- #21,019 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 59 born since 1918
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Phelps ranks #21,019 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 59 born since 1918, peaking in the 1920s.
- #21,019 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 59
- born since 1918
- 1920s
- peak decade
Phelps's 59 recorded births place it above 53.7% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Phelps's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Phelps's full recorded timeline at 1930, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1920, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1929 peak of 7 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Phelps popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2014
- Peak year (1929)
- 7
- Annual births at peak, across 97 years of records
Phelps by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (22 births, 37% of the file).
1920s was Phelps's strongest decade.
22 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Phelps births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s
1920s
22 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s
1940s
11 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 2010s
2010s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 22 births (37% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Phelps? ▼
Where does Phelps sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Phelps most popular? ▼
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What to do with Phelps's data
- Phelps's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (22 total births) through the 2010s (10) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Phelps
Nearby Names Like Phelps
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phelps
Compare Phelps side by side: Phelps vs Phelan Phelps vs Pheonix Phelps vs Phenix
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Phelps: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1929)
Similar record span (~96 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, 1918–2014 (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 Phelps 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.