Boys' name · since 1976
Tau
39 babies named Tau in U.S. Social Security records since 1976, with the highest year being 1976. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #23,979 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,386 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 39
- born since 1976
- 1970s
- peak decade
Yes -- Tau is the #12386 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 39 recorded since 1976.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tau has been recorded 39 times among boys since 1976, currently ranked #12386 nationally and more common than 11% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2025.
- #23,979 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,386 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 39 born since 1976
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tau ranks #23,979 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,386 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 39 born since 1976, peaking in the 1970s.
- #23,979 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,386 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 39
- born since 1976
- 1970s
- peak decade
Tau's 39 recorded births place it above 47.22% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
How Tau compares
39 14th percentile among 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
Tau's all-time total is 89% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tau | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 39 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7 | 34 | 22,252 |
Tau's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tau splits its recorded history at 1998: 54% of all births land in the more recent half, 46% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1978 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1976 peak of 7 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tau popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2025
- Peak year (1976)
- 7
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Tau by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (12 births, 31% of the file).
1970s was Tau's strongest decade.
12 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Tau births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
12 births
- 1990s
1990s
11 births
- 2010s
2010s
11 births
- 2020s
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 12 births (31% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tau? ▼
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When was Tau most popular? ▼
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What to do with Tau's data
- Tau's usage has stayed within range of its 1970s decade-level peak (12 total births) through the 2020s (5) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tau
Nearby Names Like Tau
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tau
Compare Tau side by side: Tau vs Taurean Tau vs Taurus Tau vs Tauren
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tau
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tau: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1976)
Similar record span (~49 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, 1976–2025 (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 Tau 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.