Total births
36,056
Boys' name · since 1881
Reed
36,056 babies named Reed in U.S. Social Security records since 1881, with the highest year being 2014. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #423
- among boys today
- 36,056
- born since 1881
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
36,056 babies have been named Reed since 1881, making it today's #423 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Reed has been recorded 36,056 times among boys since 1881, currently ranked #423 nationally and more common than 97% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #423 among boys today
- 36,056 born since 1881
- 2010s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Reed is currently the #423 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 36,056 born since 1881, peaking in the 2010s.
- #423
- among boys today
- 36,056
- born since 1881
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Reed vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#423
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Reed was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
1,096 babies were named Reed in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Reed compares
36,056 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 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
Reed's all-time total is 98x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Reed | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 36,056 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,096 | 23 | 22,252 |
Reed's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Reed's full recorded timeline at 1953, 85% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 15% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1886, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2014 peak of 1,096 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Reed at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2014
Current rank
#423
Active since
1881
Reed popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 1,096
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Reed popularity over time - girls
921 total births recorded since 1921 (Reed as girls' name)
Reed by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Reed's strongest decade.
9,014 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Reed births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 76
1880s
76 births
- 1890s 137
1890s
137 births
- 1900s 175
1900s
175 births
- 1910s 790
1910s
790 births
- 1920s 1,227
1920s
1,227 births
- 1930s 871
1930s
871 births
- 1940s 1,385
1940s
1,385 births
- 1950s 2,494
1950s
2,494 births
- 1960s 1,696
1960s
1,696 births
- 1970s 1,452
1970s
1,452 births
- 1980s 2,206
1980s
2,206 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,495 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,618 births
- 2010s
2010s
9,014 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,420 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 9,014 births (25% of all-time use).
How Reed 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 Reed's total volume
Reed vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Reed by state
Where Reed concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,790 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,304 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 1,705 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 1,575 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Utah | | 1,460 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 1,343 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 1,335 | 3.7% |
| #8 | New York | | 1,237 | 3.4% |
California share of Reed's total US births 7.7%
Even split
2,790 of 36,056 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Reed appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Reed? ▼
Reed has been given to 36,056 babies in the U.S. since 1881, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #423 as of the latest data. 1,096 babies were born in 2014, its single highest year.
When was Reed most popular? ▼
Reed was most popular in the 2010s decade with 9,014 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Reed most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Reed are California (2,790 births), Texas (2,304 births), Pennsylvania (1,705 births).
How long has the name Reed been used? ▼
Records for Reed go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Reed? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Reece, Reese, Reef, Rees, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Reed's data
- Reed's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (9,014 total births) through the 2020s (4,420) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Reeds (2,790 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Reed
Nearby Names Like Reed
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Reed
Reece Boy
#455 21,968 births
Reese Boy
#620 19,606 births
Reef Boy
#2551 1,290 births
Rees Boy
#6232 1,014 births
Reeves Boy
#2159 977 births
Compare Reed side by side: Reed vs Reece Reed vs Reese Reed vs Reef
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Reed
Frederick #422
266,060 births · Peak 1951
Royal #424
20,072 births · Peak 2021
Jake #421
129,322 births · Peak 2004
Hank #425
16,984 births · Peak 2025
Raphael #420
24,258 births · Peak 2025
Nehemiah #426
21,804 births · Peak 2010
Kayce #419
3,316 births · Peak 2025
Armani #427
15,410 births · Peak 2021
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Reed: #423 Boys' Name - 36,056 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/reed. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Reed 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 June 2026.