Total births
2,203
Girls' name · since 1955
September
2,203 babies named September in U.S. Social Security records since 1955, with the highest year being 1980. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5838
- among girls today
- 2,203
- born since 1955
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other girls
September currently ranks #5838 among girls' names in America, with 2,203 babies recorded since 1955.
September has 2,203 recorded births among girls since 1955, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5838 as of the latest data, more common than 67% of girls, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 2025.
- #5838 among girls today
- 2,203 born since 1955
- 1980s peak decade
- 67% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
September is currently the #5838 girls' name in America, more common than 67% of girls - 2,203 born since 1955, peaking in the 1980s.
- #5838
- among girls today
- 2,203
- born since 1955
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other girls
September vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5838
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 67% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named September was born in this single decade.
1980
Single peak year
51 babies were named September in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
How September compares
2,203 Top 21% higher than 79% of 17,726 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
September's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | September | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,203 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 51 | 48 | 19,840 |
September's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
September splits its recorded history at 1990: 51% of all births land in the more recent half, 49% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1958 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1980 peak of 51 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
September at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1980
Current rank
#5,838
Active since
1955
September popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–2025
- Peak year (1980)
- 51
- Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
September by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was September's strongest decade.
402 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
September births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 83
1950s
83 births
- 1960s
1960s
254 births
- 1970s
1970s
346 births
- 1980s
1980s
402 births
- 1990s
1990s
340 births
- 2000s
2000s
331 births
- 2010s
2010s
304 births
- 2020s 143
2020s
143 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 402 births (18% of all-time use).
How September 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 September's total volume
September vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
September by state
Where September concentrates geographically, total births since 1955
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 122 | 5.5% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 32 | 1.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 12 | 0.5% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 8 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Colorado | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Texas | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.2% |
California share of September's total US births 5.5%
Even split
122 of 2,203 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
September appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name September? ▼
Since 1955, Social Security records show 2,203 babies named September. Today it holds rank #5838 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1980, with 51 births.
When was September most popular? ▼
September was most popular in the 1980s decade with 402 total births. The single peak year was 1980.
Where is September most popular? ▼
The top states for the name September are California (122 births), Ohio (32 births), Illinois (12 births).
How long has the name September been used? ▼
Records for September go back to 1955, giving 71 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to September? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sephora, Sephira, Sephra, Sephanie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with September's data
- September's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (402 total births) through the 2020s (143) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Septembers (122 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 September
Nearby Names Like September
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to September
Sephora Girl
#4062 1,003 births
Sephira Girl
#14542 117 births
Sephra Girl
40 births
Sephanie Girl
35 births
Sepideh Girl
25 births
Compare September side by side: September vs Sephora September vs Sephira September vs Sephra
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to September
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, 1955–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "September: #5838 Girls' Name - 2,203 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/september. 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 September 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.