Boys' name · since 1888
Red
Since 1888, U.S. Social Security records show 396 babies named Red, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9,079 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,881 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 396
- born since 1888
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Red is the #5881 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 396 recorded since 1888.
Red has 396 recorded births among boys since 1888, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5881 as of the latest data, more common than 58% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #9,079 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,881 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 396 born since 1888
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Red ranks #9,079 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,881 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 396 born since 1888, peaking in the 1920s.
- #9,079 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,881 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 396
- born since 1888
- 1920s
- peak decade
Red's 396 recorded births place it above 80.02% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
How Red compares
396 Top 49% higher than 51% 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
Red's all-time total is 7% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Red | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 396 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 18 | 34 | 22,252 |
Red's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Red splits its recorded history at 1932: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1888 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 18 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Red popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Red by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (93 births, 23% of the file).
1920s was Red's strongest decade.
93 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Red births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 12
1900s
12 births
- 1910s
1910s
79 births
- 1920s
1920s
93 births
- 1930s 23
1930s
23 births
- 1950s 10
1950s
10 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 2000s 16
2000s
16 births
- 2010s
2010s
64 births
- 2020s
2020s
83 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 93 births (23% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Red? ▼
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What to do with Red's data
- Red's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (93 total births) through the 2020s (83) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Red
Nearby Names Like Red
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Red
Compare Red side by side: Red vs Redmond Red vs Reda Red vs Redding
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Red
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Red: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~137 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, 1888–2025 (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 Red 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.