Total births
1,485
Boys' name · since 1883
Powell
1,485 babies named Powell in U.S. Social Security records since 1883, with the highest year being 1919. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7780
- among boys today
- 1,485
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other boys
1,485 babies have been named Powell since 1883, making it today's #7780 boys' name.
Powell has 1,485 recorded births among boys since 1883, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7780 as of the latest data, more common than 46% of boys, 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 1883 to 2025.
- #7780 among boys today
- 1,485 born since 1883
- 1920s peak decade
- 46% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Powell is currently the #7780 boys' name in America, more common than 46% of boys - 1,485 born since 1883, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7780
- among boys today
- 1,485
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other boys
Powell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7780
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 46% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Powell was born in this single decade.
1919
Single peak year
32 babies were named Powell in 1919 - its busiest year on record.
How Powell compares
1,485 Top 25% higher than 75% 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
Powell's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Powell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,485 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 32 | 23 | 22,252 |
Powell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Powell's full recorded timeline at 1956, 38% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 62% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1919 peak of 32 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Powell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1919
Current rank
#7,780
Active since
1883
Powell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (1919)
- 32
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Powell popularity over time - girls
6 total births recorded since 2016 (Powell as girls' name)
Powell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Powell's strongest decade.
208 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Powell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 10
1880s
10 births
- 1890s 32
1890s
32 births
- 1900s 43
1900s
43 births
- 1910s
1910s
171 births
- 1920s
1920s
208 births
- 1930s
1930s
193 births
- 1940s
1940s
177 births
- 1950s
1950s
135 births
- 1960s
1960s
118 births
- 1970s 38
1970s
38 births
- 1980s 56
1980s
56 births
- 1990s 69
1990s
69 births
- 2000s
2000s
89 births
- 2010s
2010s
87 births
- 2020s 59
2020s
59 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 208 births (14% of all-time use).
How Powell 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 Powell's total volume
Powell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Powell by state
Where Powell concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 12 | 0.8% |
| #2 | Mississippi | | 5 | 0.3% |
Georgia share of Powell's total US births 0.8%
Even split
12 of 1,485 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Powell? ▼
1,485 babies have been named Powell since 1883. It currently ranks #7780 among boys. The peak year was 1919 with 32 births.
When was Powell most popular? ▼
Powell was most popular in the 1920s decade with 208 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
Where is Powell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Powell are Georgia (12 births), Mississippi (5 births).
How long has the name Powell been used? ▼
Records for Powell go back to 1883, giving 143 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Powell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Power, Powers. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Powell's data
- Powell's decade-level peak was the 1920s (208 total births); usage has since declined to 59 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Powells (12 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Powell
Nearby Names Like Powell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Powell
Compare Powell side by side: Powell vs Power Powell vs Powers
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Powell
Chancey #7779
1,228 births · Peak 1978
Thurston #7781
3,501 births · Peak 1918
Rance #7778
3,002 births · Peak 1962
Farley #7782
1,080 births · Peak 1952
Lorenz #7777
1,754 births · Peak 1918
Fielding #7783
602 births · Peak 2022
Marsh #7776
403 births · Peak 1938
Quince #7784
588 births · Peak 1964
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1883–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Powell: #7780 Boys' Name - 1,485 Births, Peak 1919." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/powell. 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 Powell 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 July 2026.