Total births
101
Boys' name · since 1973
Sly
Since 1973, U.S. Social Security records show 101 babies named Sly, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 101
- total births
- 1973–2025
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
Sly sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 101 recorded since 1973.
Social Security Administration records show Sly recorded 101 times among boys since 1973, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1973 to 2025.
- 101 total births
- 1973–2025 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 25% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
101 boys have been named Sly since 1973, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2025.
- 101
- total births
- 1973–2025
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Sly was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
10 babies were named Sly in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
Sly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sly's full recorded timeline at 2008, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1984, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 10 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sly at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
2025
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1973
Sly popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Sly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Sly's strongest decade.
25 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Sly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
12 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s
1990s
25 births
- 2000s
2000s
11 births
- 2010s
2010s
24 births
- 2020s
2020s
24 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 25 births (25% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sly? ▼
101 babies have been named Sly since 1973. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 2025 with 10 births.
When was Sly most popular? ▼
Sly was most popular in the 1990s decade with 25 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
How long has the name Sly been used? ▼
Records for Sly go back to 1973, giving 53 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Slyvester. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sly's data
- Sly's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (25 total births) through the 2020s (24) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Sly
Nearby Names Like Sly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sly
Compare Sly side by side: Sly vs Slyvester
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1973–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sly: Baby Name Since 1973 - 101 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sly. 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 Sly 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 July 2026.