Total births
1,061
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.
- 1,061
- total births
- 1884–2019
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that 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.
- 1,061 total births
- 1884–2019 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 27% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,061 boys have been named Son since 1884, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2019.
- 1,061
- total births
- 1884–2019
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Son was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
41 babies were named Son in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2019Peak year
1982
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1884
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Son's total US births 15.6%
Even split
165 of 1,061 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Son? ▼
Since 1884, Social Security records show 1,061 babies named Son. The most recent recorded year was 2019. Its busiest year on record was 1982, with 41 births.
When was Son most popular? ▼
Son was most popular in the 1980s decade with 288 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Where is Son most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Son are California (165 births), Texas (26 births), Georgia (11 births).
How long has the name Son been used? ▼
Records for Son go back to 1884, giving 136 years of history through 2019.
What names are similar to Son? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sonny, Sonnie, Sony, Sonia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Son
Nearby Names Like Son
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Son
Sonny Boy
#336 22,327 births
Sonnie Boy
#4897 879 births
Sony Boy
287 births
Sonia Boy
279 births
Sonya Boy
182 births
Compare Son side by side: Son vs Sonny Son vs Sonnie Son vs Sony
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Karlo #3415
1,061 births · Peak 2010
Marcellous #6510
1,062 births · Peak 1993
Tevon #11288
1,062 births · Peak 1994
Cadyn #7511
1,062 births · Peak 2008
Durand
1,060 births · Peak 1972
Holton #3058
1,060 births · Peak 2021
Niccolo #2856
1,060 births · Peak 2021
Branch #3224
1,063 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Son: Baby Name Since 1884 - 1,061 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/son. 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 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 June 2026.