Boys' name · since 1880
Ransom
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 4,859 babies named Ransom, peaking in 2022. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,808 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,688 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,859
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
4,859 babies have been named Ransom since 1880, making it today's #1688 boys' name.
Ransom has 4,859 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1688 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- 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.
- #1,808 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,688 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 4,859 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ransom ranks #1,808 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,688 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 4,859 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1,808 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,688 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,859
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Ransom's 4,859 recorded births place it above 96.02% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
23 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Ransom compares
4,859 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Ransom's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ransom | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,859 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 111 | 34 | 22,252 |
Ransom's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ransom's full recorded timeline at 1953, 62% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 38% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 111 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ransom popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 111
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ransom popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 2013 (Ransom as girls' name)
Ransom by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (885 births, 18% of the file).
2010s was Ransom's strongest decade.
885 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Ransom births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 115
1880s
115 births
- 1890s 114
1890s
114 births
- 1900s 100
1900s
100 births
- 1910s
1910s
376 births
- 1920s
1920s
423 births
- 1930s 312
1930s
312 births
- 1940s 312
1940s
312 births
- 1950s 274
1950s
274 births
- 1960s 200
1960s
200 births
- 1970s 147
1970s
147 births
- 1980s 217
1980s
217 births
- 1990s 310
1990s
310 births
- 2000s
2000s
455 births
- 2010s
2010s
885 births
- 2020s
2020s
619 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 885 births (18% of all-time use).
How Ransom 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 Ransom's total volume
Ransom by state
Where Ransom concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 287 | 5.9% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 265 | 5.5% |
| #3 | California | | 98 | 2.0% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 64 | 1.3% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 43 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 37 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Washington | | 31 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 21 | 0.4% |
287 of 4,859 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Ransom appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ransom? ▼
Where does Ransom sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ransom most popular? ▼
Where is Ransom most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ransom been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ransom? ▼
What to do with Ransom's data
- Ransom's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (885 total births) through the 2020s (619) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Ransoms (287 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ransom
Nearby Names Like Ransom
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ransom
Compare Ransom side by side: Ransom vs Randy Ransom vs Randall Ransom vs Randolph
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ransom
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ransom: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2022)
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 Ransom 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.