Boys' name · since 1916
Philemon
925 babies named Philemon in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 2017. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5,404 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,735 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 925
- born since 1916
- 2010s
- peak decade
925 babies have been named Philemon since 1916, making it today's #7735 boys' name.
Philemon has 925 recorded births among boys since 1916, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7735 as of the latest data, more common than 44% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2025.
- #5,404 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #7,735 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 925 born since 1916
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Philemon ranks #5,404 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,735 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 925 born since 1916, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5,404 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,735 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 925
- born since 1916
- 2010s
- peak decade
Philemon's 925 recorded births place it above 88.11% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Philemon compares
925 Top 33% higher than 67% of 13,930 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
Philemon's all-time total is 151% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Philemon | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 925 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 34 | 22,252 |
Philemon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Philemon's SSA record in two at 1976 and the more recent half accounts for 61% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 39%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1926, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2017 peak of 24, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Philemon popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Philemon by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (142 births, 15% of the file).
2010s was Philemon's strongest decade.
142 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Philemon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 27
1910s
27 births
- 1920s
1920s
69 births
- 1930s 35
1930s
35 births
- 1940s 49
1940s
49 births
- 1950s
1950s
67 births
- 1960s
1960s
68 births
- 1970s
1970s
92 births
- 1980s
1980s
98 births
- 1990s
1990s
106 births
- 2000s
2000s
108 births
- 2010s
2010s
142 births
- 2020s
2020s
64 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 142 births (15% of all-time use).
How Philemon 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 Philemon's total volume
Philemon by state
Where Philemon concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 7 | 0.8% |
7 of 925 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Philemon's data
- Philemon's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (142 total births) through the 2020s (64) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Philemons (7 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Philemon
Nearby Names Like Philemon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Philemon
Compare Philemon side by side: Philemon vs Philip Philemon vs Phillip Philemon vs Phil
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Philemon
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Philemon: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2017)
Similar record span (~109 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, 1916–2025 (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 Philemon 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.