Unisex name · since 1971
River
Since 1971, U.S. Social Security records show 39,676 babies named River, peaking in 2021. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #579 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #111 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 39,676
- born since 1971
- 2020s
- peak decade
Yes -- River is the #111 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 39,676 recorded since 1971.
Social Security Administration records show River recorded 39,676 times among boys since 1971, holding rank #111 nationally today, ahead of 99.2% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2025.
- #579 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #111 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 39,676 born since 1971
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, River ranks #579 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #111 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 39,676 born since 1971, peaking in the 2020s.
- #579 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #111 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 39,676
- born since 1971
- 2020s
- peak decade
River's 39,676 recorded births place it above 98.72% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How River compares
39,676 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
River's all-time total is 108x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | River | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 39,676 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,504 | 34 | 22,252 |
River's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
River splits its recorded history at 2003: 92% of all births land in the more recent half, 8% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1974 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2021 peak of 3,504 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
River popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 3,504
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
River popularity over time - girls
19,675 total births recorded since 1988 (River as girls' name)
River by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (19,236 births, 48% of the file).
2020s was River's strongest decade.
19,236 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.
River births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 26
1970s
26 births
- 1980s 82
1980s
82 births
- 1990s 2,023
1990s
2,023 births
- 2000s 4,449
2000s
4,449 births
- 2010s
2010s
13,860 births
- 2020s
2020s
19,236 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 19,236 births (48% of all-time use).
How River 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 River's total volume
River by state
Where River concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,937 | 9.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,507 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,895 | 4.8% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 1,627 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,529 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 1,511 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,390 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Washington | | 1,139 | 2.9% |
3,937 of 39,676 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
River appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name River? ▼
Where does River sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was River most popular? ▼
Where is River most popular? ▼
Is River a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name River been used? ▼
What names are similar to River? ▼
What to do with River's data
- California records the most Rivers (3,937 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 River
Nearby Names Like River
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to River
Compare River side by side: River vs Rivers River vs Rivaan River vs Riven
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to River
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for River: 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 (~54 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, 1971–2025 (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 River 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.