Total births
81,872
Boys' name · since 1880
Ross
81,872 babies named Ross in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1985. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1359
- among boys today
- 81,872
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
81,872 babies have been named Ross since 1880, making it today's #1359 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ross has been recorded 81,872 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1359 nationally and more common than 90% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. 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.
- #1359 among boys today
- 81,872 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ross is currently the #1359 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 81,872 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1359
- among boys today
- 81,872
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Ross vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1359
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Ross was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
1,884 babies were named Ross in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
How Ross compares
81,872 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 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
Ross's all-time total is 223x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ross | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 81,872 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,884 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ross's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ross's full recorded timeline at 1953, 70% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 30% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1897, with just 62 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 1,884 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ross at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1985
Current rank
#1,359
Active since
1880
Ross popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1985)
- 1,884
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ross popularity over time - girls
421 total births recorded since 1891 (Ross as girls' name)
Ross by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Ross's strongest decade.
15,710 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Ross births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 951
1880s
951 births
- 1890s 851
1890s
851 births
- 1900s 803
1900s
803 births
- 1910s 3,692
1910s
3,692 births
- 1920s 5,240
1920s
5,240 births
- 1930s 4,558
1930s
4,558 births
- 1940s 6,153
1940s
6,153 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,513 births
- 1960s
1960s
9,781 births
- 1970s
1970s
7,936 births
- 1980s
1980s
15,710 births
- 1990s
1990s
10,462 births
- 2000s 3,562
2000s
3,562 births
- 2010s 1,848
2010s
1,848 births
- 2020s 812
2020s
812 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 15,710 births (19% of all-time use).
How Ross 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 Ross's total volume
Ross vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ross by state
Where Ross concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,419 | 7.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5,340 | 6.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 4,950 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 4,246 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 4,206 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 4,148 | 5.1% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 3,775 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 2,940 | 3.6% |
California share of Ross's total US births 7.8%
Even split
6,419 of 81,872 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ross appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ross? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 81,872 babies named Ross. Today it holds rank #1359 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1985, with 1,884 births.
When was Ross most popular? ▼
Ross was most popular in the 1980s decade with 15,710 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Ross most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ross are California (6,419 births), Texas (5,340 births), New York (4,950 births).
How long has the name Ross been used? ▼
Records for Ross go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ross? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Roscoe, Rosario, Rosendo, Rosevelt, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ross's data
- Ross's decade-level peak was the 1980s (15,710 total births); usage has since declined to 812 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Rosss (6,419 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 Ross
Nearby Names Like Ross
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ross
Roscoe Boy
#2169 22,159 births
Rosario Boy
#4902 5,611 births
Rosendo Boy
#4582 5,422 births
Rosevelt Boy
3,074 births
Rose Boy
2,118 births
Compare Ross side by side: Ross vs Roscoe Ross vs Rosario Ross vs Rosendo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ross
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ross: #1359 Boys' Name - 81,872 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ross. 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 Ross 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 June 2026.