Total births
561
Boys' name · since 1971
Priest
Priest has 561 recorded births since 1971 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2019 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4120
- among boys today
- 561
- born since 1971
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Priest is the #4120 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 561 recorded since 1971.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Priest has been recorded 561 times among boys since 1971, currently ranked #4120 nationally and more common than 71% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2025.
- #4120 among boys today
- 561 born since 1971
- 2020s peak decade
- 71% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Priest is currently the #4120 boys' name in America, more common than 71% of boys - 561 born since 1971, peaking in the 2020s.
- #4120
- among boys today
- 561
- born since 1971
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Priest vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4120
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 71% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Priest was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
50 babies were named Priest in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Priest compares
561 Top 41% higher than 59% 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
Priest's all-time total is 53% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Priest | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 561 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 50 | 23 | 22,252 |
Priest's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Priest splits its recorded history at 2007: 64% of all births land in the more recent half, 36% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1980 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 50 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Priest at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2019
Current rank
#4,120
Active since
1971
Priest popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 50
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
Priest by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Priest's strongest decade.
190 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Priest births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
89 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 20
1990s
20 births
- 2000s
2000s
116 births
- 2010s
2010s
141 births
- 2020s
2020s
190 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 190 births (34% of all-time use).
How Priest 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 Priest's total volume
Priest vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Priest by state
Where Priest concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 25 | 4.5% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 12 | 2.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 6 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.9% |
Texas share of Priest's total US births 4.5%
Even split
25 of 561 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Priest? ▼
Priest has been given to 561 babies in the U.S. since 1971, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4120 as of the latest data. 50 babies were born in 2019, its single highest year.
When was Priest most popular? ▼
Priest was most popular in the 2020s decade with 190 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Priest most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Priest are Texas (25 births), Illinois (12 births), Ohio (6 births).
How long has the name Priest been used? ▼
Records for Priest go back to 1971, giving 55 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Priest? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Prince, Princeton, Price, Primo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Priest's data
- Texas records the most Priests (25 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 Priest
Nearby Names Like Priest
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Priest
Prince Boy
#401 23,601 births
Princeton Boy
#614 10,256 births
Price Boy
#2718 3,926 births
Primo Boy
#12412 874 births
Primitivo Boy
742 births
Compare Priest side by side: Priest vs Prince Priest vs Princeton Priest vs Price
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Priest
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, 1971–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Priest: #4120 Boys' Name - 561 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/priest. 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 Priest 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.