Unisex name · since 1880
Raleigh
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 9,279 babies named Raleigh, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,266 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,209 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 9,279
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Raleigh is the #2209 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 9,279 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raleigh has been recorded 9,279 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2209 nationally and more common than 84% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1,266 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,209 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 9,279 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raleigh ranks #1,266 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,209 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 9,279 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,266 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,209 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 9,279
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Raleigh's 9,279 recorded births place it above 97.21% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
24 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
How Raleigh compares
9,279 Top 9% higher than 91% 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
Raleigh's all-time total is 25x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Raleigh | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,279 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 139 | 34 | 22,252 |
Raleigh's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Raleigh splits its recorded history at 1953: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1888 (10 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 139 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Raleigh popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 139
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Raleigh popularity over time - girls
3,057 total births recorded since 1923 (Raleigh as girls' name)
Raleigh by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (1,165 births, 13% of the file).
1920s was Raleigh's strongest decade.
1,165 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Raleigh births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 168
1880s
168 births
- 1890s 185
1890s
185 births
- 1900s 233
1900s
233 births
- 1910s
1910s
846 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,165 births
- 1930s
1930s
916 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,023 births
- 1950s
1950s
860 births
- 1960s
1960s
574 births
- 1970s 444
1970s
444 births
- 1980s
1980s
497 births
- 1990s
1990s
538 births
- 2000s
2000s
544 births
- 2010s
2010s
879 births
- 2020s 407
2020s
407 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,165 births (13% of all-time use).
How Raleigh 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 Raleigh's total volume
Raleigh by state
Where Raleigh concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 610 | 6.6% |
| #2 | Virginia | | 587 | 6.3% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 513 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 415 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 369 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Florida | | 256 | 2.8% |
| #7 | South Carolina | | 195 | 2.1% |
| #8 | California | | 179 | 1.9% |
610 of 9,279 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Raleigh appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Raleigh? ▼
Where does Raleigh sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Raleigh most popular? ▼
Where is Raleigh most popular? ▼
Is Raleigh a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Raleigh been used? ▼
What names are similar to Raleigh? ▼
What to do with Raleigh's data
- Raleigh's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (1,165 total births) through the 2020s (407) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Raleighs (610 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Raleigh
Nearby Names Like Raleigh
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Raleigh
Compare Raleigh side by side: Raleigh vs Ralph Raleigh vs Ralston Raleigh vs Ralphael
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Raleigh
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Raleigh: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1921)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Raleigh 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.