Boys' name · since 1914
Socrates
Socrates has 725 recorded births since 1914 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1922 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,293 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 725
- born since 1914
- 1990s
- peak decade
725 boys have been named Socrates since 1914, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Socrates has 725 recorded births among boys since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2022.
- #6,293 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 725 born since 1914
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Socrates ranks #6,293 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 725 born since 1914, peaking in the 1990s.
- #6,293 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 725
- born since 1914
- 1990s
- peak decade
Socrates's 725 recorded births place it above 86.15% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by New York.
Socrates's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Socrates's SSA record in two at 1979 and the more recent half accounts for 53% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 47%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1914, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1922 peak of 17, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Socrates popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2022
- Peak year (1922)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Socrates by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (113 births, 16% of the file).
1990s was Socrates's strongest decade.
113 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Socrates births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 41
1910s
41 births
- 1920s
1920s
110 births
- 1930s
1930s
63 births
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s 7
1950s
7 births
- 1960s 44
1960s
44 births
- 1970s
1970s
74 births
- 1980s
1980s
94 births
- 1990s
1990s
113 births
- 2000s
2000s
91 births
- 2010s
2010s
58 births
- 2020s 24
2020s
24 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 113 births (16% of all-time use).
How Socrates 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 Socrates's total volume
Socrates by state
Where Socrates concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 23 | 3.2% |
| #2 | California | | 22 | 3.0% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 5 | 0.7% |
23 of 725 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Socrates's data
- Socrates's decade-level peak was the 1990s (113 total births); usage has since declined to 24 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Socratess (23 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Socrates
Nearby Names Like Socrates
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Socrates
Compare Socrates side by side: Socrates vs Socorro Socrates vs Soctt Socrates vs Socheat
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Socrates: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1922)
Similar record span (~108 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, 1914–2022 (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 Socrates 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.