Girls' name · since 1964
Sahara
Since 1964, U.S. Social Security records show 4,729 babies named Sahara, peaking in 2006. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,673 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,969 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,729
- born since 1964
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Sahara is the #1969 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 4,729 recorded since 1964.
Social Security Administration records show Sahara recorded 4,729 times among girls since 1964, holding rank #1969 nationally today, ahead of 89% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1964 to 2025.
- #2,673 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #1,969 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 4,729 born since 1964
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sahara ranks #2,673 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,969 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 4,729 born since 1964, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2,673 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,969 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,729
- born since 1964
- 2000s
- peak decade
Sahara's 4,729 recorded births place it above 96.3% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
29 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Sahara compares
4,729 Top 14% higher than 86% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Sahara's all-time total is 13x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sahara | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,729 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 248 | 21 | 19,840 |
Sahara's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Sahara's SSA record in two at 1997 and the more recent half accounts for 83% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 17%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1964, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2006 peak of 248, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Sahara popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1964–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 248
- Annual births at peak, across 62 years of records
Sahara popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 2003 (Sahara as boys' name)
Sahara by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (1,546 births, 33% of the file).
2000s was Sahara's strongest decade.
1,546 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Sahara births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 93
1970s
93 births
- 1980s 238
1980s
238 births
- 1990s
1990s
744 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,546 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,347 births
- 2020s
2020s
756 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,546 births (33% of all-time use).
How Sahara compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Sahara's total volume
Sahara by state
Where Sahara concentrates geographically, total births since 1964
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 671 | 14.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 363 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 330 | 7.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 310 | 6.6% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 178 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 106 | 2.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 90 | 1.9% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 71 | 1.5% |
671 of 4,729 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Sahara appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sahara? ▼
Where does Sahara sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Sahara most popular? ▼
Where is Sahara most popular? ▼
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What to do with Sahara's data
- Sahara's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (1,546 total births) through the 2020s (756) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Saharas (671 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 Sahara
Nearby Names Like Sahara
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sahara
Compare Sahara side by side: Sahara vs Sahana Sahara vs Sahar Sahara vs Sahasra
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sahara
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Sahara: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2006)
Similar record span (~61 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, 1964–2025 (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 Sahara 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.