Boys' name · since 1996
Reef
Reef has 1,290 recorded births since 1996 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,369 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,505 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,290
- born since 1996
- 2010s
- peak decade
Reef currently ranks #2505 among boys' names in America, with 1,290 babies recorded since 1996.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Reef has been recorded 1,290 times among boys since 1996, currently ranked #2505 nationally and more common than 82% 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 1996 to 2025.
- #4,369 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,505 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,290 born since 1996
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Reef ranks #4,369 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,505 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,290 born since 1996, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4,369 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,505 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,290
- born since 1996
- 2010s
- peak decade
Reef's 1,290 recorded births place it above 90.39% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Reef compares
1,290 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
Reef's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Reef | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,290 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 81 | 34 | 22,252 |
Reef's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Reef splits its recorded history at 2011: 69% of all births land in the more recent half, 31% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1996 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2021 peak of 81 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Reef popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1996–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 81
- Annual births at peak, across 30 years of records
Reef popularity over time - girls
63 total births recorded since 2012 (Reef as girls' name)
Reef by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (573 births, 44% of the file).
2010s was Reef's strongest decade.
573 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Reef births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 30
1990s
30 births
- 2000s
2000s
311 births
- 2010s
2010s
573 births
- 2020s
2020s
376 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 573 births (44% of all-time use).
How Reef 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 Reef's total volume
Reef by state
Where Reef concentrates geographically, total births since 1996
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 318 | 24.7% |
| #2 | Florida | | 310 | 24.0% |
| #3 | Hawaii | | 153 | 11.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.4% |
318 of 1,290 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Reef's data
- Reef's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (573 total births) through the 2020s (376) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Reefs (318 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Reef
Nearby Names Like Reef
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Reef
Compare Reef side by side: Reef vs Reed Reef vs Reece Reef vs Reese
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Reef
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Reef: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2021)
Similar record span (~29 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, 1996–2025 (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 Reef 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.