Boys' name · since 1904
Prentis
1,260 babies named Prentis in U.S. Social Security records since 1904, with the highest year being 1942. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4,424 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,260
- born since 1904
- 1940s
- peak decade
Prentis sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 1,260 recorded since 1904.
Social Security Administration records show Prentis recorded 1,260 times among boys since 1904, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1904 to 2021.
- #4,424 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,260 born since 1904
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Prentis ranks #4,424 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,260 born since 1904, peaking in the 1940s.
- #4,424 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,260
- born since 1904
- 1940s
- peak decade
Prentis's 1,260 recorded births place it above 90.27% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Mississippi.
Prentis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Prentis splits its recorded history at 1955: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1904 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1942 peak of 27 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Prentis popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1904–2021
- Peak year (1942)
- 27
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Prentis by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (195 births, 15% of the file).
1940s was Prentis's strongest decade.
195 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Prentis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 18
1900s
18 births
- 1910s
1910s
105 births
- 1920s
1920s
167 births
- 1930s
1930s
140 births
- 1940s
1940s
195 births
- 1950s
1950s
157 births
- 1960s
1960s
123 births
- 1970s
1970s
131 births
- 1980s
1980s
118 births
- 1990s 56
1990s
56 births
- 2000s 31
2000s
31 births
- 2010s 14
2010s
14 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 195 births (15% of all-time use).
How Prentis 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 Prentis's total volume
Prentis by state
Where Prentis concentrates geographically, total births since 1904
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 55 | 4.4% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 34 | 2.7% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.4% |
55 of 1,260 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Prentis's data
- Prentis's decade-level peak was the 1940s (195 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Prentiss (55 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Prentis
Nearby Names Like Prentis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Prentis
Compare Prentis side by side: Prentis vs Preston Prentis vs Presley Prentis vs Prentice
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Prentis: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1942)
Similar record span (~117 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, 1904–2021 (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 Prentis 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.