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.
- #1,306 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 8,744
- born since 1910
- 1960s
- peak 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.
- #1,306 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 8,744 born since 1910
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rod ranks #1,306 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 8,744 born since 1910, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1,306 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 8,744
- born since 1910
- 1960s
- peak decade
Rod's 8,744 recorded births place it above 97.12% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
39 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (3,746 births, 43% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
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When was Rod most popular? ▼
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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
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
Compare Rod side by side: Rod vs Rodney Rod vs Roderick Rod vs Rodolfo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rod: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1960)
Similar record span (~113 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, 1910–2023 (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 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 August 2026.