Unisex name · since 1979

So

Since 1979, U.S. Social Security records show 47 babies named So, peaking in 1993. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#35,795 of 72,339
all-time among girls
47
born since 1979
1980s
peak decade

47 girls have been named So since 1979, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Social Security Administration records show So recorded 47 times among girls since 1979, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 1993.

  • #35,795 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 47 born since 1979
  • 1980s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, So ranks #35,795 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 47 born since 1979, peaking in the 1980s.

#35,795 of 72,339
all-time among girls
47
born since 1979
1980s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

So's 47 recorded births place it above 50.45% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

So's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide So's SSA record in two at 1989 and the more recent half accounts for 51% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 49%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1982, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1993 peak of 8, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

So popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–1993

Last recorded 1993
Peak year (1993)
8
Annual births at peak, across 15 years of records
456789 19791982198519881989199019921993 8

So popularity over time - boys

5 total births recorded since 2017 (So as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 5 births
5 2017 5

So by decade

1980s is the heaviest window (22 births, 47% of the file).

1980s was So's strongest decade.

22 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.

So births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1980s at 22 births (47% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name So? ▼
47 babies have been named So since 1979. All-time, it sits at #35,795 of 72,339 girls' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 1993. The peak year was 1993 with 8 births.
Where does So sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, So ranks #35,795 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was So most popular? ▼
So was most popular in the 1980s decade with 22 total births. The single peak year was 1993.
Is So a unisex name? ▼
Yes, So is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 47 births, and as a boy's name it has 5 births.
How long has the name So been used? ▼
So has been recorded in Social Security data since 1979, spanning 15 years of data through 1993.
What names are similar to So? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sophia, Sofia, Sophie, Sonia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with So's data

  • So's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (22 total births) through the 1990s (18) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring So

Nearby Names Like So

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to So

Sophia Girl
#5 439,108 births
Sofia Girl
#9 186,744 births
Sophie Girl
#55 138,577 births
Sonia Girl
#1303 66,747 births
Sonya Girl
#1930 65,772 births

Compare So side by side: So vs Sophia So vs Sofia So vs Sophie

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Adlena
47 births · Peak 1912
Vashtie
47 births · Peak 1916
Lucil
47 births · Peak 1920
Elisebeth
47 births · Peak 1934
Thelmer
47 births · Peak 1921
Vadna
47 births · Peak 1918
Moneta
47 births · Peak 1927
Ianthe
47 births · Peak 1970

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for So: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1979–1993 (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 So 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.