Total births
20,245
Boys' name · since 1880
Pierce
Pierce has 20,245 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2015 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #538
- among boys today
- 20,245
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
20,245 babies have been named Pierce since 1880, making it today's #538 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Pierce recorded 20,245 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #538 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #538 among boys today
- 20,245 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Pierce is currently the #538 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 20,245 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #538
- among boys today
- 20,245
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Pierce vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#538
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Pierce was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
648 babies were named Pierce in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Pierce compares
20,245 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Pierce's all-time total is 55x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Pierce | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,245 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 648 | 23 | 22,252 |
Pierce's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Pierce splits its recorded history at 1953: 89% of all births land in the more recent half, 11% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 648 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Pierce at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2015
Current rank
#538
Active since
1880
Pierce popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 648
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Pierce popularity over time - girls
389 total births recorded since 1996 (Pierce as girls' name)
Pierce by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Pierce's strongest decade.
5,931 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Pierce births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 133
1880s
133 births
- 1890s 127
1890s
127 births
- 1900s 133
1900s
133 births
- 1910s 413
1910s
413 births
- 1920s 560
1920s
560 births
- 1930s 409
1930s
409 births
- 1940s 373
1940s
373 births
- 1950s 306
1950s
306 births
- 1960s 234
1960s
234 births
- 1970s 179
1970s
179 births
- 1980s 779
1980s
779 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,398 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,898 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,931 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,372 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,931 births (29% of all-time use).
How Pierce 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 Pierce's total volume
Pierce vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Pierce by state
Where Pierce concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,886 | 9.3% |
| #2 | California | | 1,673 | 8.3% |
| #3 | Florida | | 928 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 893 | 4.4% |
| #5 | New York | | 869 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 750 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 648 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 587 | 2.9% |
Texas share of Pierce's total US births 9.3%
Even split
1,886 of 20,245 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Pierce appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pierce? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 20,245 babies named Pierce. Today it holds rank #538 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2015, with 648 births.
When was Pierce most popular? ▼
Pierce was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,931 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Pierce most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pierce are Texas (1,886 births), California (1,673 births), Florida (928 births).
How long has the name Pierce been used? ▼
Records for Pierce go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Pierce? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pierre, Pierson, Pietro, Pieter, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Pierce's data
- Pierce's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,931 total births) through the 2020s (3,372) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Pierces (1,886 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Pierce
Nearby Names Like Pierce
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pierce
Pierre Boy
#1244 19,069 births
Pierson Boy
#1462 3,522 births
Pietro Boy
#3613 2,423 births
Pieter Boy
#9115 1,011 births
Piero Boy
#4235 821 births
Compare Pierce side by side: Pierce vs Pierre Pierce vs Pierson Pierce vs Pietro
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Pierce
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. "Pierce: #538 Boys' Name - 20,245 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pierce. 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 Pierce 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.