Boys' name · since 1918
Smokey
Since 1918, U.S. Social Security records show 131 babies named Smokey, peaking in 1977. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #15,670 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 131
- born since 1918
- 1970s
- peak decade
131 boys have been named Smokey since 1918, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Smokey recorded 131 times among boys since 1918, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2024.
- #15,670 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 131 born since 1918
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Smokey ranks #15,670 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 131 born since 1918, peaking in the 1970s.
- #15,670 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 131
- born since 1918
- 1970s
- peak decade
Smokey's 131 recorded births place it above 65.53% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Smokey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Smokey splits its recorded history at 1978: 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 1954 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1977 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Smokey popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2024
- Peak year (1977)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Smokey by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (51 births, 39% of the file).
1970s was Smokey's strongest decade.
51 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Smokey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
- 1960s 10
1960s
10 births
- 1970s
1970s
51 births
- 1980s
1980s
25 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 10
2000s
10 births
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
- 2020s 7
2020s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 51 births (39% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Smokey? ▼
Where does Smokey sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Smokey most popular? ▼
How long has the name Smokey been used? ▼
What to do with Smokey's data
- Smokey's decade-level peak was the 1970s (51 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Smokey
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Smokey: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1977)
Similar record span (~106 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, 1918–2024 (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 Smokey 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.