Total births
23,460
Girls' name · since 1880
Rae
Rae has 23,460 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1956 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1264
- among girls today
- 23,460
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Rae is the #1264 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 23,460 recorded since 1880.
Rae has 23,460 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1264 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1264 among girls today
- 23,460 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rae is currently the #1264 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 23,460 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1264
- among girls today
- 23,460
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Rae vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1264
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Rae was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
406 babies were named Rae in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Rae compares
23,460 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Rae's all-time total is 61x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rae | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 23,460 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 406 | 48 | 19,840 |
Rae's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rae splits its recorded history at 1953: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 406 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rae at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#1,264
Active since
1880
Rae popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 406
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rae popularity over time - boys
960 total births recorded since 1894 (Rae as boys' name)
Rae by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Rae's strongest decade.
3,456 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Rae births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 262
1880s
262 births
- 1890s 673
1890s
673 births
- 1900s 699
1900s
699 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,738 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,873 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,096 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,660 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,456 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,895 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,848 births
- 1980s 1,250
1980s
1,250 births
- 1990s 921
1990s
921 births
- 2000s 626
2000s
626 births
- 2010s 1,228
2010s
1,228 births
- 2020s 1,235
2020s
1,235 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,456 births (15% of all-time use).
How Rae 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 Rae's total volume
Rae vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Rae by state
Where Rae concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 2,269 | 9.7% |
| #2 | California | | 1,958 | 8.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 1,413 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 1,195 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,129 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Texas | | 1,047 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 678 | 2.9% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 583 | 2.5% |
New York share of Rae's total US births 9.7%
Even split
2,269 of 23,460 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Rae appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rae? ▼
23,460 babies have been named Rae since 1880. It currently ranks #1264 among girls. The peak year was 1956 with 406 births.
When was Rae most popular? ▼
Rae was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,456 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Rae most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rae are New York (2,269 births), California (1,958 births), Pennsylvania (1,413 births).
How long has the name Rae been used? ▼
Rae has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Rae? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Raelynn, Raegan, Raelyn, Raeann, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Rae's data
- Rae's usage has stayed within range of its 1950s decade-level peak (3,456 total births) through the 2020s (1,235) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Raes (2,269 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Rae
Nearby Names Like Rae
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rae
Raelynn Girl
#113 34,671 births
Raegan Girl
#458 25,214 births
Raelyn Girl
#422 15,768 births
Raeann Girl
#9642 3,915 births
Raelene Girl
#9637 2,451 births
Compare Rae side by side: Rae vs Raelynn Rae vs Raegan Rae vs Raelyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rae
Emberlyn #1263
2,196 births · Peak 2021
Rebeca #1265
14,193 births · Peak 2003
Austyn #1262
4,928 births · Peak 2021
Valencia #1266
12,198 births · Peak 1970
Kaira #1261
3,335 births · Peak 2019
Ariadne #1267
4,824 births · Peak 2016
Milagros #1260
10,474 births · Peak 2008
Brynley #1268
3,425 births · Peak 2017
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rae: #1264 Girls' Name - 23,460 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rae. 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 Rae 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.