Total births
218,055
Boys' name · since 1881
Sebastian
Sebastian has 218,055 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2016 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #14
- among boys today
- 218,055
- born since 1881
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Sebastian is the #14 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 218,055 recorded since 1881.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sebastian has been recorded 218,055 times among boys since 1881, currently ranked #14 nationally and more common than 99.9% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #14 among boys today
- 218,055 born since 1881
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sebastian is currently the #14 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 218,055 born since 1881, peaking in the 2010s.
- #14
- among boys today
- 218,055
- born since 1881
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Sebastian vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#14
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Sebastian was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
10,309 babies were named Sebastian in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Sebastian compares
218,055 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Sebastian's all-time total is 594x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sebastian | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 218,055 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10,309 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sebastian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sebastian splits its recorded history at 1958: 98% of all births land in the more recent half, 2% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2016 peak of 10,309 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sebastian at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2016
Current rank
#14
Active since
1881
Sebastian popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 10,309
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Sebastian popularity over time - girls
408 total births recorded since 1980 (Sebastian as girls' name)
Sebastian by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Sebastian's strongest decade.
86,688 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Sebastian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 34
1880s
34 births
- 1890s 43
1890s
43 births
- 1900s 89
1900s
89 births
- 1910s 838
1910s
838 births
- 1920s 1,231
1920s
1,231 births
- 1930s 774
1930s
774 births
- 1940s 574
1940s
574 births
- 1950s 500
1950s
500 births
- 1960s 1,113
1960s
1,113 births
- 1970s 1,413
1970s
1,413 births
- 1980s 2,839
1980s
2,839 births
- 1990s 14,599
1990s
14,599 births
- 2000s
2000s
53,866 births
- 2010s
2010s
86,688 births
- 2020s
2020s
53,454 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 86,688 births (40% of all-time use).
How Sebastian 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 Sebastian's total volume
Sebastian vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sebastian by state
Where Sebastian concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 46,691 | 21.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 34,466 | 15.8% |
| #3 | Florida | | 18,289 | 8.4% |
| #4 | New York | | 15,093 | 6.9% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 9,476 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 7,112 | 3.3% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 7,089 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 4,588 | 2.1% |
California share of Sebastian's total US births 21.4%
Even split
46,691 of 218,055 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Sebastian appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sebastian? ▼
Since 1881, Social Security records show 218,055 babies named Sebastian. Today it holds rank #14 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2016, with 10,309 births.
When was Sebastian most popular? ▼
Sebastian was most popular in the 2010s decade with 86,688 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Sebastian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sebastian are California (46,691 births), Texas (34,466 births), Florida (18,289 births).
How long has the name Sebastian been used? ▼
Records for Sebastian go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sebastian? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sebastien, Sebastiano, Sebastion, Sebastain, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sebastian's data
- Sebastian's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (86,688 total births) through the 2020s (53,454) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Sebastians (46,691 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 Sebastian
Nearby Names Like Sebastian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sebastian
Sebastien Boy
#1844 4,057 births
Sebastiano Boy
#5261 1,005 births
Sebastion Boy
#5100 937 births
Sebastain Boy
#10012 510 births
Sebron Boy
235 births
Compare Sebastian side by side: Sebastian vs Sebastien Sebastian vs Sebastiano Sebastian vs Sebastion
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sebastian
Ezra #13
106,761 births · Peak 2024
Jack #15
756,943 births · Peak 1927
Levi #12
215,013 births · Peak 2022
Daniel #16
1,982,812 births · Peak 1985
Benjamin #11
826,830 births · Peak 1989
Samuel #17
820,196 births · Peak 2001
William #10
4,199,696 births · Peak 1947
Michael #18
4,426,753 births · Peak 1957
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sebastian: #14 Boys' Name - 218,055 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sebastian. 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 Sebastian 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.