Boys' name · since 1981
Rakim
Rakim has 1,322 recorded births since 1981 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1992 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,305 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,571 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,322
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
Rakim currently ranks #6571 among boys' names in America, with 1,322 babies recorded since 1981.
Social Security Administration records show Rakim recorded 1,322 times among boys since 1981, holding rank #6571 nationally today, ahead of 53% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 2025.
- #4,305 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,571 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,322 born since 1981
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rakim ranks #4,305 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,571 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,322 born since 1981, peaking in the 1990s.
- #4,305 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,571 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,322
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
Rakim's 1,322 recorded births place it above 90.53% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
14 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Rakim compares
1,322 Top 28% higher than 72% 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
Rakim's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rakim | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,322 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 94 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rakim's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Rakim's full recorded timeline at 2005, 34% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 66% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1981, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1992 peak of 94 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Rakim popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 94
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Rakim by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (563 births, 43% of the file).
1990s was Rakim's strongest decade.
563 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Rakim births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 172
1980s
172 births
- 1990s
1990s
563 births
- 2000s
2000s
237 births
- 2010s 221
2010s
221 births
- 2020s 129
2020s
129 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 563 births (43% of all-time use).
How Rakim 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 Rakim's total volume
Rakim by state
Where Rakim concentrates geographically, total births since 1981
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 120 | 9.1% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 57 | 4.3% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 36 | 2.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 36 | 2.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 26 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 26 | 2.0% |
| #7 | South Carolina | | 19 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 17 | 1.3% |
120 of 1,322 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Rakim appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rakim? ▼
Where does Rakim sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Rakim most popular? ▼
Where is Rakim most popular? ▼
How long has the name Rakim been used? ▼
What names are similar to Rakim? ▼
What to do with Rakim's data
- Rakim's decade-level peak was the 1990s (563 total births); usage has since declined to 129 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Rakims (120 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rakim
Nearby Names Like Rakim
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rakim
Compare Rakim side by side: Rakim vs Rakeem Rakim vs Rakan Rakim vs Rakesh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rakim
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rakim: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1992)
Similar record span (~44 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, 1981–2025 (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 Rakim 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.