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.
- #208 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #581 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 165,793
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
Seth currently ranks #581 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 #581 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.
- #208 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #581 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 165,793 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Seth ranks #208 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #581 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 165,793 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #208 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #581 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 165,793
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
Seth's 165,793 recorded births place it above 99.54% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Seth compares
165,793 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 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 449x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Seth | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 165,793 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,717 | 34 | 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 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
2000s is the heaviest window (48,161 births, 29% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Seth sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Seth most popular? ▼
Where is Seth most popular? ▼
How long has the name Seth been used? ▼
What names are similar to Seth? ▼
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
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
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Seth: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2000)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 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 August 2026.