Total births
1,641
Girls' name · since 1948
Sparkle
Since 1948, U.S. Social Security records show 1,641 babies named Sparkle, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 1,641
- total births
- 1948–2025
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
1,641 girls have been named Sparkle since 1948, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Sparkle has 1,641 recorded births among girls since 1948, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls 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 1948 to 2025.
- 1,641 total births
- 1948–2025 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 43% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,641 girls have been named Sparkle since 1948, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2025.
- 1,641
- total births
- 1948–2025
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Sparkle was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
124 babies were named Sparkle in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
Sparkle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sparkle splits its recorded history at 2000: 17% of all births land in the more recent half, 83% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1948 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 124 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sparkle at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1979
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1948
Sparkle popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 124
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Sparkle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Sparkle's strongest decade.
711 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Sparkle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1970s
1970s
329 births
- 1980s
1980s
711 births
- 1990s
1990s
325 births
- 2000s 142
2000s
142 births
- 2010s 97
2010s
97 births
- 2020s 32
2020s
32 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 711 births (43% of all-time use).
How Sparkle compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Sparkle's total volume
Sparkle vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Sparkle by state
Where Sparkle concentrates geographically, total births since 1948
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 135 | 8.2% |
| #2 | California | | 134 | 8.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 96 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 72 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Texas | | 55 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 38 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 34 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 25 | 1.5% |
Illinois share of Sparkle's total US births 8.2%
Even split
135 of 1,641 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Sparkle appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sparkle? ▼
Sparkle has been given to 1,641 babies in the U.S. since 1948, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2025. 124 babies were born in 1979, its single highest year.
When was Sparkle most popular? ▼
Sparkle was most popular in the 1980s decade with 711 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Sparkle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sparkle are Illinois (135 births), California (134 births), New York (96 births).
How long has the name Sparkle been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Sparkle since 1948 -- 78 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Sparkle? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sparrow, Sparkles, Spandana, Sparkel. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Sparkle's data
- Sparkle's decade-level peak was the 1980s (711 total births); usage has since declined to 32 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Sparkles (135 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Sparkle
Nearby Names Like Sparkle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sparkle
Sparrow Girl
#3428 1,005 births
Sparkles Girl
73 births
Spandana Girl
18 births
Sparkel Girl
6 births
Compare Sparkle side by side: Sparkle vs Sparrow Sparkle vs Sparkles Sparkle vs Spandana
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1948–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sparkle: Baby Name Since 1948 - 1,641 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sparkle. 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 Sparkle 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 July 2026.