Boys' name · since 1984
Steel
Since 1984, U.S. Social Security records show 865 babies named Steel, peaking in 2021. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,628 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,156 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 865
- born since 1984
- 2010s
- peak decade
Steel currently ranks #3156 among boys' names in America, with 865 babies recorded since 1984.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Steel has been recorded 865 times among boys since 1984, currently ranked #3156 nationally and more common than 77% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1984 to 2025.
- #5,628 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,156 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 865 born since 1984
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Steel ranks #5,628 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,156 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 865 born since 1984, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5,628 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,156 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 865
- born since 1984
- 2010s
- peak decade
Steel's 865 recorded births place it above 87.62% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
How Steel compares
865 Top 34% higher than 66% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Steel's all-time total is 134% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Steel | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 865 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 62 | 34 | 22,252 |
Steel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Steel splits its recorded history at 2008: 78% of all births land in the more recent half, 22% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1984 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2021 peak of 62 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Steel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1984–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 62
- Annual births at peak, across 42 years of records
Steel by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (355 births, 41% of the file).
2010s was Steel's strongest decade.
355 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Steel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 10
1980s
10 births
- 1990s 61
1990s
61 births
- 2000s
2000s
162 births
- 2010s
2010s
355 births
- 2020s
2020s
277 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 355 births (41% of all-time use).
How Steel 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 Steel's total volume
Steel by state
Where Steel concentrates geographically, total births since 1984
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 56 | 6.5% |
| #2 | California | | 24 | 2.8% |
| #3 | Utah | | 15 | 1.7% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 10 | 1.2% |
| #5 | Florida | | 5 | 0.6% |
56 of 865 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Steel's data
- Steel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (355 total births) through the 2020s (277) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Steels (56 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Steel
Nearby Names Like Steel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Steel
Compare Steel side by side: Steel vs Steven Steel vs Stephen Steel vs Steve
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Steel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Steel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2021)
Similar record span (~41 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, 1984–2025 (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 Steel 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.