Total births
84,202
Unisex name · since 1880
Sidney
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 84,202 babies named Sidney, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1371
- among boys today
- 84,202
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Sidney currently ranks #1371 among unisex names in America, with 84,202 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sidney has been recorded 84,202 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1371 nationally and more common than 90% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1371 among boys today
- 84,202 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sidney is currently the #1371 unisex name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 84,202 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1371
- among boys today
- 84,202
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Sidney vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1371
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Sidney was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
1,879 babies were named Sidney in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Sidney compares
84,202 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Sidney's all-time total is 229x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sidney | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 84,202 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,879 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sidney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sidney's full recorded timeline at 1953, 36% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 64% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1891, with just 113 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 1,879 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sidney at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#1,371
Active since
1880
Sidney popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,879
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sidney popularity over time - girls
24,785 total births recorded since 1880 (Sidney as girls' name)
Sidney by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Sidney's strongest decade.
14,201 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Sidney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,505
1880s
1,505 births
- 1890s 1,612
1890s
1,612 births
- 1900s 1,981
1900s
1,981 births
- 1910s
1910s
12,793 births
- 1920s
1920s
14,201 births
- 1930s
1930s
9,420 births
- 1940s
1940s
9,608 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,632 births
- 1960s
1960s
6,844 births
- 1970s 3,817
1970s
3,817 births
- 1980s 3,333
1980s
3,333 births
- 1990s 3,829
1990s
3,829 births
- 2000s 2,729
2000s
2,729 births
- 2010s 1,991
2010s
1,991 births
- 2020s 907
2020s
907 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 14,201 births (17% of all-time use).
How Sidney 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 Sidney's total volume
Sidney vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sidney by state
Where Sidney concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 11,112 | 13.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5,199 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 5,103 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 3,784 | 4.5% |
| #5 | California | | 3,483 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 3,235 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 3,180 | 3.8% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 3,151 | 3.7% |
New York share of Sidney's total US births 13.2%
Even split
11,112 of 84,202 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Sidney appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sidney? ▼
Sidney has been given to 84,202 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1371 as of the latest data. 1,879 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Sidney most popular? ▼
Sidney was most popular in the 1920s decade with 14,201 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Sidney most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sidney are New York (11,112 births), Texas (5,199 births), Louisiana (5,103 births).
Is Sidney a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Sidney is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 84,202 births, and as a girl's name it has 24,785 births.
How long has the name Sidney been used? ▼
Records for Sidney go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sidney? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Siddharth, Sid, Sidharth, Siddhant, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sidney's data
- Sidney's decade-level peak was the 1920s (14,201 total births); usage has since declined to 907 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Sidneys (11,112 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Sidney
Nearby Names Like Sidney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sidney
Siddharth Boy
#2199 3,329 births
Sid Boy
#4576 3,007 births
Sidharth Boy
#6627 758 births
Siddhant Boy
#8036 589 births
Siddhartha Boy
#10110 534 births
Compare Sidney side by side: Sidney vs Siddharth Sidney vs Sid Sidney vs Sidharth
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sidney
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. "Sidney: #1371 Unisex Name - 84,202 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sidney. 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 Sidney 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.