Total births
2,803
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.
- #1541
- among boys today
- 2,803
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Phineas is the #1541 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 #1541 as of the latest data, more common than 89% 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.
- #1541 among boys today
- 2,803 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Phineas is currently the #1541 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 2,803 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1541
- among boys today
- 2,803
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Phineas vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1541
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Phineas was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
142 babies were named Phineas in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Phineas compares
2,803 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
Phineas's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Phineas | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,803 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 142 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2016
Current rank
#1,541
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Phineas's total US births 7.5%
Even split
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? ▼
2,803 babies have been named Phineas since 1880. It currently ranks #1541 among boys. The peak year was 2016 with 142 births.
When was Phineas most popular? ▼
Phineas was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,190 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Phineas most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Phineas are California (210 births), New York (167 births), Texas (122 births).
How long has the name Phineas been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Phineas since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Phineas? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Philip, Phillip, Phil, Philippe, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Phineas
Nearby Names Like Phineas
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Phineas
Philip Boy
#520 344,036 births
Phillip Boy
#626 311,561 births
Phil Boy
#10942 20,036 births
Philippe Boy
#7296 3,043 births
Phillips Boy
1,331 births
Compare Phineas side by side: Phineas vs Philip Phineas vs Phillip Phineas vs Phil
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Phineas
Virgil #1540
72,009 births · Peak 1921
Nickolas #1542
39,356 births · Peak 1998
Khyson #1539
705 births · Peak 2023
Linden #1543
4,102 births · Peak 2025
Shivansh #1538
1,229 births · Peak 2025
Sammy #1544
43,382 births · Peak 1947
Demari #1537
2,828 births · Peak 2021
Mendel #1545
2,942 births · Peak 2024
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Phineas: #1541 Boys' Name - 2,803 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/phineas. 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 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 June 2026.