Boys' name · since 1966
Rahul
Since 1966, U.S. Social Security records show 3,332 babies named Rahul, peaking in 2000. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,362 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,063 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,332
- born since 1966
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Rahul is the #9063 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,332 recorded since 1966.
Rahul has 3,332 recorded births among boys since 1966, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9063 as of the latest data, more common than 35% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1966 to 2025.
- #2,362 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #9,063 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,332 born since 1966
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rahul ranks #2,362 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #9,063 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,332 born since 1966, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2,362 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,063 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,332
- born since 1966
- 2000s
- peak decade
Rahul's 3,332 recorded births place it above 94.8% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
17 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Rahul compares
3,332 Top 16% higher than 84% of 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
Rahul's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rahul | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,332 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 196 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rahul's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rahul's SSA record in two at 1997 and the more recent half accounts for 63% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 37%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1966, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2000 peak of 196, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rahul popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1966–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 196
- Annual births at peak, across 60 years of records
Rahul by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (1,355 births, 41% of the file).
2000s was Rahul's strongest decade.
1,355 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Rahul births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 13
1960s
13 births
- 1970s 236
1970s
236 births
- 1980s 442
1980s
442 births
- 1990s
1990s
977 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,355 births
- 2010s 258
2010s
258 births
- 2020s 51
2020s
51 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,355 births (41% of all-time use).
How Rahul 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 Rahul's total volume
Rahul by state
Where Rahul concentrates geographically, total births since 1966
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 597 | 17.9% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 354 | 10.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 332 | 10.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 179 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Texas | | 136 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 89 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 62 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 46 | 1.4% |
597 of 3,332 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Rahul appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rahul? ▼
Where does Rahul sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Rahul most popular? ▼
Where is Rahul most popular? ▼
How long has the name Rahul been used? ▼
What names are similar to Rahul? ▼
What to do with Rahul's data
- Rahul's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,355 total births); usage has since declined to 51 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Rahuls (597 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 Rahul
Nearby Names Like Rahul
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rahul
Compare Rahul side by side: Rahul vs Raheem Rahul vs Rahim Rahul vs Rahsaan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rahul
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rahul: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2000)
Similar record span (~59 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, 1966–2025 (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 Rahul 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.