Total births
165,793
Boys' name · since 1880
Seth
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 165,793 babies named Seth, peaking in 2000. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #555
- among boys today
- 165,793
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Seth currently ranks #555 among boys' names in America, with 165,793 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Seth recorded 165,793 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #555 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, 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 1880 to 2025.
- #555 among boys today
- 165,793 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Seth is currently the #555 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 165,793 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #555
- among boys today
- 165,793
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Seth vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#555
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Seth was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
6,717 babies were named Seth in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Seth compares
165,793 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
Seth's all-time total is 452x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Seth | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 165,793 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,717 | 23 | 22,252 |
Seth's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Seth splits its recorded history at 1953: 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 1902 (10 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 6,717 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Seth at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2000
Current rank
#555
Active since
1880
Seth popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 6,717
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Seth popularity over time - girls
495 total births recorded since 1967 (Seth as girls' name)
Seth by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Seth's strongest decade.
48,161 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Seth births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 270
1880s
270 births
- 1890s 168
1890s
168 births
- 1900s 181
1900s
181 births
- 1910s 642
1910s
642 births
- 1920s 874
1920s
874 births
- 1930s 612
1930s
612 births
- 1940s 852
1940s
852 births
- 1950s 2,101
1950s
2,101 births
- 1960s 3,787
1960s
3,787 births
- 1970s 16,584
1970s
16,584 births
- 1980s
1980s
31,129 births
- 1990s
1990s
42,213 births
- 2000s
2000s
48,161 births
- 2010s 14,671
2010s
14,671 births
- 2020s 3,548
2020s
3,548 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 48,161 births (29% of all-time use).
How Seth 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 Seth's total volume
Seth vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Seth by state
Where Seth concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,822 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11,995 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 9,559 | 5.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 8,890 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 8,010 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Florida | | 5,694 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 5,586 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 5,456 | 3.3% |
California share of Seth's total US births 7.7%
Even split
12,822 of 165,793 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Seth appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Seth? ▼
165,793 babies have been named Seth since 1880. It currently ranks #555 among boys. The peak year was 2000 with 6,717 births.
When was Seth most popular? ▼
Seth was most popular in the 2000s decade with 48,161 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Seth most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Seth are California (12,822 births), Texas (11,995 births), Ohio (9,559 births).
How long has the name Seth been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Seth since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Seth? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Seton, Sethan, Sethe, Set, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Seth's data
- Seth's decade-level peak was the 2000s (48,161 total births); usage has since declined to 3,548 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Seths (12,822 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 Seth
Nearby Names Like Seth
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Seth
Compare Seth side by side: Seth vs Seton Seth vs Sethan Seth vs Sethe
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Seth
Alessandro #554
12,002 births · Peak 2025
Jonas #556
28,560 births · Peak 2008
Deacon #553
11,570 births · Peak 2014
Zain #557
9,918 births · Peak 2022
Roberto #552
112,643 births · Peak 1991
Emir #558
5,615 births · Peak 2025
Mohamed #551
19,350 births · Peak 2014
Saul #559
43,288 births · Peak 2006
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. "Seth: #555 Boys' Name - 165,793 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/seth. 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 Seth 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.