Total births
6,426
Unisex name · since 1975
Promise
Since 1975, U.S. Social Security records show 6,426 babies named Promise, peaking in 2023. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #820
- among girls today
- 6,426
- born since 1975
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
6,426 babies have been named Promise since 1975, making it today's #820 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Promise recorded 6,426 times among girls since 1975, holding rank #820 nationally today, ahead of 95% of girls, 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 1975 to 2025.
- #820 among girls today
- 6,426 born since 1975
- 2010s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Promise is currently the #820 unisex name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 6,426 born since 1975, peaking in the 2010s.
- #820
- among girls today
- 6,426
- born since 1975
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Promise vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#820
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Promise was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
395 babies were named Promise in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Promise compares
6,426 Top 11% higher than 89% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Promise's all-time total is 17x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Promise | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,426 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 395 | 48 | 19,840 |
Promise's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Promise splits its recorded history at 2000: 91% of all births land in the more recent half, 9% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1975 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2023 peak of 395 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Promise at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2023
Current rank
#820
Active since
1975
Promise popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1975–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 395
- Annual births at peak, across 51 years of records
Promise popularity over time - boys
412 total births recorded since 1992 (Promise as boys' name)
Promise by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Promise's strongest decade.
2,430 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Promise births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 49
1970s
49 births
- 1980s 143
1980s
143 births
- 1990s 372
1990s
372 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,296 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,430 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,136 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,430 births (38% of all-time use).
How Promise compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Promise's total volume
Promise vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Promise by state
Where Promise concentrates geographically, total births since 1975
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 492 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 481 | 7.5% |
| #3 | Florida | | 461 | 7.2% |
| #4 | California | | 413 | 6.4% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 287 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 263 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 258 | 4.0% |
| #8 | New York | | 250 | 3.9% |
Georgia share of Promise's total US births 7.7%
Even split
492 of 6,426 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 32 reporting states.
Promise appears in 32 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Promise? ▼
6,426 babies have been named Promise since 1975. It currently ranks #820 among girls. The peak year was 2023 with 395 births.
When was Promise most popular? ▼
Promise was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,430 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Promise most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Promise are Georgia (492 births), Texas (481 births), Florida (461 births).
Is Promise a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Promise is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 6,426 births, and as a boy's name it has 412 births.
How long has the name Promise been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Promise since 1975 -- 51 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Promise? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Providence, Promyse, Prosperity, Providencia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Promise's data
- Promise's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,430 total births) through the 2020s (2,136) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Georgia records the most Promises (492 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 Promise
Nearby Names Like Promise
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Promise
Providence Girl
#10326 724 births
Promyse Girl
#4091 628 births
Prosperity Girl
#9917 142 births
Providencia Girl
115 births
Promiss Girl
100 births
Compare Promise side by side: Promise vs Providence Promise vs Promyse Promise vs Prosperity
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Promise
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, 1975–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Promise: #820 Unisex Name - 6,426 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/promise. 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 Promise 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.