Boys' name · since 1880
Rodney
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 247,150 babies named Rodney, peaking in 1965. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #157 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,092 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 247,150
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Rodney is the #1092 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 247,150 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rodney has been recorded 247,150 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1092 nationally and more common than 92% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #157 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,092 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 247,150 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rodney ranks #157 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,092 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 247,150 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #157 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,092 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 247,150
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Rodney's 247,150 recorded births place it above 99.65% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Rodney compares
247,150 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Rodney's all-time total is 670x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rodney | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 247,150 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 11,086 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rodney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rodney's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 78% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 22%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1965 peak of 11,086, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rodney popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1965)
- 11,086
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rodney popularity over time - girls
1,175 total births recorded since 1918 (Rodney as girls' name)
Rodney by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (72,194 births, 29% of the file).
1960s was Rodney's strongest decade.
72,194 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Rodney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 112
1880s
112 births
- 1890s 162
1890s
162 births
- 1900s 194
1900s
194 births
- 1910s 1,775
1910s
1,775 births
- 1920s 4,519
1920s
4,519 births
- 1930s 9,695
1930s
9,695 births
- 1940s 24,846
1940s
24,846 births
- 1950s
1950s
54,817 births
- 1960s
1960s
72,194 births
- 1970s
1970s
37,446 births
- 1980s 17,872
1980s
17,872 births
- 1990s 12,122
1990s
12,122 births
- 2000s 6,466
2000s
6,466 births
- 2010s 3,624
2010s
3,624 births
- 2020s 1,306
2020s
1,306 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 72,194 births (29% of all-time use).
How Rodney 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 Rodney's total volume
Rodney by state
Where Rodney concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 17,709 | 7.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 16,069 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 12,988 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 11,433 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 11,433 | 4.6% |
| #6 | New York | | 11,384 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 10,842 | 4.4% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 9,510 | 3.8% |
17,709 of 247,150 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Rodney appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rodney? ▼
Where does Rodney sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Rodney most popular? ▼
Where is Rodney most popular? ▼
How long has the name Rodney been used? ▼
What names are similar to Rodney? ▼
What to do with Rodney's data
- Rodney's decade-level peak was the 1960s (72,194 total births); usage has since declined to 1,306 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Rodneys (17,709 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 Rodney
Nearby Names Like Rodney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rodney
Compare Rodney side by side: Rodney vs Roderick Rodney vs Rodolfo Rodney vs Rodrigo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rodney
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rodney: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1965)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Rodney 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.