Total births
4,279
Boys' name · since 1880
Rowland
4,279 babies named Rowland in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1917. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5910
- among boys today
- 4,279
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Rowland is the #5910 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 4,279 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Rowland recorded 4,279 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #5910 nationally today, ahead of 59% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5910 among boys today
- 4,279 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 59% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rowland is currently the #5910 boys' name in America, more common than 59% of boys - 4,279 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5910
- among boys today
- 4,279
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other boys
Rowland vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5910
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 59% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Rowland was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
90 babies were named Rowland in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Rowland compares
4,279 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Rowland's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rowland | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,279 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 90 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rowland's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rowland splits its recorded history at 1954: 37% of all births land in the more recent half, 63% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1917 peak of 90 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rowland at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1917
Current rank
#5,910
Active since
1880
Rowland popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 90
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rowland by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Rowland's strongest decade.
721 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Rowland births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 57
1880s
57 births
- 1890s 77
1890s
77 births
- 1900s 106
1900s
106 births
- 1910s
1910s
521 births
- 1920s
1920s
721 births
- 1930s
1930s
544 births
- 1940s
1940s
486 births
- 1950s
1950s
522 births
- 1960s
1960s
379 births
- 1970s 183
1970s
183 births
- 1980s 153
1980s
153 births
- 1990s 133
1990s
133 births
- 2000s 111
2000s
111 births
- 2010s 161
2010s
161 births
- 2020s 125
2020s
125 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 721 births (17% of all-time use).
How Rowland 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 Rowland's total volume
Rowland vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rowland by state
Where Rowland concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 216 | 5.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 215 | 5.0% |
| #3 | California | | 117 | 2.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 78 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 71 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 52 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 32 | 0.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 29 | 0.7% |
New York share of Rowland's total US births 5.0%
Even split
216 of 4,279 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Rowland appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rowland? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 4,279 babies named Rowland. Today it holds rank #5910 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1917, with 90 births.
When was Rowland most popular? ▼
Rowland was most popular in the 1920s decade with 721 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Rowland most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rowland are New York (216 births), Pennsylvania (215 births), California (117 births).
How long has the name Rowland been used? ▼
Records for Rowland go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Rowland? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rowan, Rowen, Rowdy, Rowyn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rowland's data
- Rowland's decade-level peak was the 1920s (721 total births); usage has since declined to 125 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Rowlands (216 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Rowland
Nearby Names Like Rowland
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rowland
Rowan Boy
#71 50,628 births
Rowen Boy
#445 8,169 births
Rowdy Boy
#925 4,980 births
Rowyn Boy
#1982 799 births
Rowe Boy
#3533 527 births
Compare Rowland side by side: Rowland vs Rowan Rowland vs Rowen Rowland vs Rowdy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rowland
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. "Rowland: #5910 Boys' Name - 4,279 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rowland. 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 Rowland 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.