Boys' name · since 1884
Son
Son has 1,061 recorded births since 1884 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1982 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,941 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,061
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
Son is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,061 have been recorded since 1884.
Son has 1,061 recorded births among boys since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2019.
- #4,941 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,061 born since 1884
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Son ranks #4,941 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,061 born since 1884, peaking in the 1980s.
- #4,941 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,061
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
Son's 1,061 recorded births place it above 89.13% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
7 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Son's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Son's full recorded timeline at 1937, 59% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 41% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1890, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1982 peak of 41 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Son popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2019
- Peak year (1982)
- 41
- Annual births at peak, across 136 years of records
Son popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1957 (Son as girls' name)
Son by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (288 births, 27% of the file).
1980s was Son's strongest decade.
288 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Son births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 26
1880s
26 births
- 1890s 92
1890s
92 births
- 1900s
1900s
119 births
- 1910s
1910s
138 births
- 1920s 64
1920s
64 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1970s 65
1970s
65 births
- 1980s
1980s
288 births
- 1990s
1990s
158 births
- 2000s 73
2000s
73 births
- 2010s 28
2010s
28 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 288 births (27% of all-time use).
How Son 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 Son's total volume
Son by state
Where Son concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 165 | 15.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 26 | 2.5% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 11 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 6 | 0.6% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 5 | 0.5% |
165 of 1,061 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Son? ▼
Where does Son sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Son most popular? ▼
Where is Son most popular? ▼
How long has the name Son been used? ▼
What names are similar to Son? ▼
What to do with Son's data
- Son's decade-level peak was the 1980s (288 total births); usage has since declined to 28 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Sons (165 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Son
Nearby Names Like Son
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Son
Compare Son side by side: Son vs Sonny Son vs Sonnie Son vs Sony
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Son: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1982)
Similar record span (~135 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, 1884–2019 (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 Son 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.