Boys' name · since 1880
Phineas
2,803 babies named Phineas in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2016. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,656 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,610 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,803
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Phineas is the #1610 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,803 recorded since 1880.
Phineas has 2,803 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1610 as of the latest data, more common than 88% 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 1880 to 2025.
- #2,656 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,610 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,803 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Phineas ranks #2,656 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,610 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,803 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,656 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,610 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,803
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Phineas's 2,803 recorded births place it above 94.16% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
26 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Phineas compares
2,803 Top 18% higher than 82% 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
Phineas's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Phineas | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,803 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 142 | 34 | 22,252 |
Phineas's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Phineas's full recorded timeline at 1985, 92% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 8% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2016 peak of 142 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Phineas popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 142
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Phineas by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,190 births, 42% of the file).
2010s was Phineas's strongest decade.
1,190 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Phineas births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 10
1890s
10 births
- 1910s 38
1910s
38 births
- 1920s 33
1920s
33 births
- 1930s 29
1930s
29 births
- 1940s 15
1940s
15 births
- 1950s 23
1950s
23 births
- 1960s 26
1960s
26 births
- 1970s 26
1970s
26 births
- 1980s 47
1980s
47 births
- 1990s 76
1990s
76 births
- 2000s
2000s
607 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,190 births
- 2020s
2020s
678 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,190 births (42% of all-time use).
How Phineas 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 Phineas's total volume
Phineas by state
Where Phineas concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 210 | 7.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 167 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 122 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 94 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 66 | 2.4% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 65 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 55 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Utah | | 52 | 1.9% |
210 of 2,803 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Phineas appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Phineas? ▼
Where does Phineas sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Phineas most popular? ▼
Where is Phineas most popular? ▼
How long has the name Phineas been used? ▼
What names are similar to Phineas? ▼
What to do with Phineas's data
- Phineas's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,190 total births) through the 2020s (678) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Phineass (210 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 Phineas
Nearby Names Like Phineas
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phineas
Compare Phineas side by side: Phineas vs Philip Phineas vs Phillip Phineas vs Phil
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Phineas
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Phineas: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2016)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Phineas 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.