Boys' name · since 1948
Rad
Since 1948, U.S. Social Security records show 214 babies named Rad, peaking in 2023. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12,543 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,345 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 214
- born since 1948
- 2020s
- peak decade
214 babies have been named Rad since 1948, making it today's #8345 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rad has been recorded 214 times among boys since 1948, currently ranked #8345 nationally and more common than 40% 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 1948 to 2025.
- #12,543 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #8,345 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 214 born since 1948
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rad ranks #12,543 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,345 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 214 born since 1948, peaking in the 2020s.
- #12,543 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,345 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 214
- born since 1948
- 2020s
- peak decade
Rad's 214 recorded births place it above 72.4% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Rad compares
214 39th percentile among 13,930 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
Rad's all-time total is 42% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rad | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 214 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 17 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rad's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rad splits its recorded history at 1989: 60% of all births land in the more recent half, 40% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1948 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2023 peak of 17 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rad popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Rad by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (74 births, 35% of the file).
2020s was Rad's strongest decade.
74 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Rad births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 24
1950s
24 births
- 1960s 28
1960s
28 births
- 1970s 15
1970s
15 births
- 1980s 19
1980s
19 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2010s
2010s
43 births
- 2020s
2020s
74 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 74 births (35% of all-time use).
Rad by state
Where Rad concentrates geographically, total births since 1948
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 2.3% |
5 of 214 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rad? ▼
Where does Rad sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Rad most popular? ▼
Where is Rad most popular? ▼
How long has the name Rad been used? ▼
What names are similar to Rad? ▼
What to do with Rad's data
- California records the most Rads (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rad
Nearby Names Like Rad
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rad
Compare Rad side by side: Rad vs Radley Rad vs Radford Rad vs Radames
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rad
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rad: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~77 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, 1948–2025 (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 Rad 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.