Total births
774,997
Boys' name · since 1880
Scott
774,997 babies named Scott in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #565
- among boys today
- 774,997
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
774,997 babies have been named Scott since 1880, making it today's #565 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Scott recorded 774,997 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #565 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #565 among boys today
- 774,997 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Scott is currently the #565 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 774,997 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #565
- among boys today
- 774,997
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Scott vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#565
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Scott was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
30,901 babies were named Scott in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
How Scott compares
774,997 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Scott's all-time total is 2,112x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Scott | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 774,997 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 30,901 | 23 | 22,252 |
Scott's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Scott's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 96% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 4%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1903, with only 24 births recorded -- set against the 1971 peak of 30,901, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Scott at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1971
Current rank
#565
Active since
1880
Scott popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 30,901
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Scott popularity over time - girls
2,608 total births recorded since 1913 (Scott as girls' name)
Scott by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Scott's strongest decade.
266,828 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Scott births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 484
1880s
484 births
- 1890s 380
1890s
380 births
- 1900s 348
1900s
348 births
- 1910s 1,284
1910s
1,284 births
- 1920s 1,908
1920s
1,908 births
- 1930s 1,976
1930s
1,976 births
- 1940s 12,161
1940s
12,161 births
- 1950s
1950s
111,819 births
- 1960s
1960s
266,828 births
- 1970s
1970s
194,520 births
- 1980s
1980s
108,144 births
- 1990s 49,019
1990s
49,019 births
- 2000s 16,238
2000s
16,238 births
- 2010s 6,893
2010s
6,893 births
- 2020s 2,995
2020s
2,995 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 266,828 births (34% of all-time use).
How Scott 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 Scott's total volume
Scott vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Scott by state
Where Scott concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 75,417 | 9.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 60,428 | 7.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 48,751 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 48,222 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 47,937 | 6.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 47,541 | 6.1% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 30,339 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 27,873 | 3.6% |
California share of Scott's total US births 9.7%
Even split
75,417 of 774,997 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Scott appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Scott? ▼
Scott has been given to 774,997 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #565 as of the latest data. 30,901 babies were born in 1971, its single highest year.
When was Scott most popular? ▼
Scott was most popular in the 1960s decade with 266,828 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
Where is Scott most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Scott are California (75,417 births), New York (60,428 births), Ohio (48,751 births).
How long has the name Scott been used? ▼
Scott has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Scott? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Scotty, Scot, Scottie, Scout, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Scott's data
- Scott's decade-level peak was the 1960s (266,828 total births); usage has since declined to 2,995 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Scotts (75,417 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 Scott
Nearby Names Like Scott
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Scott
Scotty Boy
#1771 19,030 births
Scot Boy
#12565 13,721 births
Scottie Boy
#1190 11,157 births
Scout Boy
#1486 2,092 births
Scotland Boy
#5990 272 births
Compare Scott side by side: Scott vs Scotty Scott vs Scot Scott vs Scottie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Scott
Fletcher #564
17,419 births · Peak 2025
Armando #566
76,515 births · Peak 1997
Jaiden #563
33,302 births · Peak 2008
Kason #567
14,904 births · Peak 2019
Lionel #562
33,789 births · Peak 2023
Zachariah #568
31,238 births · Peak 1992
Jamari #561
15,240 births · Peak 2008
Cassius #569
9,736 births · Peak 2021
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. "Scott: #565 Boys' Name - 774,997 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/scott. 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 Scott 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.