Total births
1,123,481
Girls' name · since 1880
Susan
1,123,481 babies named Susan in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1955. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1120
- among girls today
- 1,123,481
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
1,123,481 babies have been named Susan since 1880, making it today's #1120 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Susan recorded 1,123,481 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #1120 nationally today, ahead of 94% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1120 among girls today
- 1,123,481 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Susan is currently the #1120 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 1,123,481 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1120
- among girls today
- 1,123,481
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Susan vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1120
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Susan was born in this single decade.
1955
Single peak year
47,418 babies were named Susan in 1955 - its busiest year on record.
How Susan compares
1,123,481 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Susan's all-time total is 2,941x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Susan | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,123,481 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 47,418 | 48 | 19,840 |
Susan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Susan's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 66% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 34%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 2022, with only 212 births recorded -- set against the 1955 peak of 47,418, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Susan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1955
Current rank
#1,120
Active since
1880
Susan popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1955)
- 47,418
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Susan popularity over time - boys
2,541 total births recorded since 1897 (Susan as boys' name)
Susan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Susan's strongest decade.
437,774 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Susan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,231
1880s
3,231 births
- 1890s 3,612
1890s
3,612 births
- 1900s 3,447
1900s
3,447 births
- 1910s 6,814
1910s
6,814 births
- 1920s 8,408
1920s
8,408 births
- 1930s 21,028
1930s
21,028 births
- 1940s
1940s
212,016 births
- 1950s
1950s
437,774 births
- 1960s
1960s
287,666 births
- 1970s 88,308
1970s
88,308 births
- 1980s 30,549
1980s
30,549 births
- 1990s 10,893
1990s
10,893 births
- 2000s 5,323
2000s
5,323 births
- 2010s 3,051
2010s
3,051 births
- 2020s 1,361
2020s
1,361 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 437,774 births (39% of all-time use).
How Susan 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 Susan's total volume
Susan vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Susan by state
Where Susan concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 122,541 | 10.9% |
| #2 | California | | 91,696 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 82,276 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 70,375 | 6.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 63,009 | 5.6% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 57,312 | 5.1% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 49,012 | 4.4% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 43,070 | 3.8% |
New York share of Susan's total US births 10.9%
Even split
122,541 of 1,123,481 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Susan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Susan? ▼
1,123,481 babies have been named Susan since 1880. It currently ranks #1120 among girls. The peak year was 1955 with 47,418 births.
When was Susan most popular? ▼
Susan was most popular in the 1950s decade with 437,774 total births. The single peak year was 1955.
Where is Susan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Susan are New York (122,541 births), California (91,696 births), Pennsylvania (82,276 births).
How long has the name Susan been used? ▼
Susan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Susan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Susie, Susanne, Susana, Susanna, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Susan's data
- Susan's decade-level peak was the 1950s (437,774 total births); usage has since declined to 1,361 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Susans (122,541 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Susan
Nearby Names Like Susan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Susan
Susie Girl
#2328 85,789 births
Susanne Girl
#11137 26,094 births
Susana Girl
#2329 20,999 births
Susanna Girl
#1350 19,987 births
Susannah Girl
#2723 7,784 births
Compare Susan side by side: Susan vs Susie Susan vs Susanne Susan vs Susana
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Susan
Spencer #1119
5,707 births · Peak 2017
Libby #1121
17,966 births · Peak 2009
Micaela #1118
14,977 births · Peak 1995
Imogen #1122
3,179 births · Peak 2024
Lizbeth #1117
25,918 births · Peak 2002
Taliyah #1123
8,900 births · Peak 2008
Giavanna #1116
6,210 births · Peak 2021
Avayah #1124
2,223 births · Peak 2022
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Susan: #1120 Girls' Name - 1,123,481 Births, Peak 1955." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/susan. 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 Susan 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.