Total births
8,744
Boys' name · since 1910
Rod
Since 1910, U.S. Social Security records show 8,744 babies named Rod, peaking in 1960. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 8,744
- total births
- 1910–2023
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
8,744 boys have been named Rod since 1910, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Rod has 8,744 recorded births among boys since 1910, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1910 to 2023.
- 8,744 total births
- 1910–2023 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 43% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
8,744 boys have been named Rod since 1910, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2023.
- 8,744
- total births
- 1910–2023
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Rod was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
496 babies were named Rod in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
Rod's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rod splits its recorded history at 1968: 24% of all births land in the more recent half, 76% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1914 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 496 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rod at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1960
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1910
Rod popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–2023
- Peak year (1960)
- 496
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Rod by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Rod's strongest decade.
3,746 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Rod births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 32
1910s
32 births
- 1920s 72
1920s
72 births
- 1930s 232
1930s
232 births
- 1940s 990
1940s
990 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,025 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,746 births
- 1970s 923
1970s
923 births
- 1980s 316
1980s
316 births
- 1990s 229
1990s
229 births
- 2000s 113
2000s
113 births
- 2010s 52
2010s
52 births
- 2020s 14
2020s
14 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 3,746 births (43% of all-time use).
How Rod 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 Rod's total volume
Rod vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rod by state
Where Rod concentrates geographically, total births since 1910
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,490 | 17.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 440 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 439 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Washington | | 421 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 324 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 285 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 261 | 3.0% |
| #8 | New York | | 245 | 2.8% |
California share of Rod's total US births 17.0%
Even split
1,490 of 8,744 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 39 reporting states.
Rod appears in 39 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rod? ▼
Since 1910, Social Security records show 8,744 babies named Rod. The most recent recorded year was 2023. Its busiest year on record was 1960, with 496 births.
When was Rod most popular? ▼
Rod was most popular in the 1960s decade with 3,746 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Rod most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rod are California (1,490 births), Ohio (440 births), Michigan (439 births).
How long has the name Rod been used? ▼
Rod has been recorded in Social Security data since 1910, spanning 114 years of data through 2023.
What names are similar to Rod? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rodney, Roderick, Rodolfo, Rodrigo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rod's data
- Rod's decade-level peak was the 1960s (3,746 total births); usage has since declined to 14 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Rods (1,490 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 Rod
Nearby Names Like Rod
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rod
Rodney Boy
#1078 247,150 births
Roderick Boy
#1904 47,183 births
Rodolfo Boy
#1448 33,773 births
Rodrigo Boy
#485 27,754 births
Rodger Boy
#8339 21,556 births
Compare Rod side by side: Rod vs Rodney Rod vs Roderick Rod vs Rodolfo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1910–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rod: Baby Name Since 1910 - 8,744 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rod. 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 Rod 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 July 2026.