Total births
75,160
Boys' name · since 1880
Ted
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 75,160 babies named Ted, peaking in 1958. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2874
- among boys today
- 75,160
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
75,160 babies have been named Ted since 1880, making it today's #2874 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ted has been recorded 75,160 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2874 nationally and more common than 80% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2874 among boys today
- 75,160 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 80% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ted is currently the #2874 boys' name in America, more common than 80% of boys - 75,160 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2874
- among boys today
- 75,160
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Ted vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2874
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 80% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Ted was born in this single decade.
1958
Single peak year
1,743 babies were named Ted in 1958 - its busiest year on record.
How Ted compares
75,160 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 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
Ted's all-time total is 205x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ted | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 75,160 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,743 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ted's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ted's full recorded timeline at 1953, 48% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 52% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1958 peak of 1,743 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ted at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1958
Current rank
#2,874
Active since
1880
Ted popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 1,743
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ted popularity over time - girls
264 total births recorded since 1905 (Ted as girls' name)
Ted by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Ted's strongest decade.
14,719 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Ted births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 143
1880s
143 births
- 1890s 247
1890s
247 births
- 1900s 942
1900s
942 births
- 1910s 3,514
1910s
3,514 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,842 births
- 1930s
1930s
10,526 births
- 1940s
1940s
13,027 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,719 births
- 1960s
1960s
13,540 births
- 1970s 5,450
1970s
5,450 births
- 1980s 3,012
1980s
3,012 births
- 1990s 1,586
1990s
1,586 births
- 2000s 764
2000s
764 births
- 2010s 610
2010s
610 births
- 2020s 238
2020s
238 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 14,719 births (20% of all-time use).
How Ted 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 Ted's total volume
Ted vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ted by state
Where Ted concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 7,221 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 5,133 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 4,445 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 4,053 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 3,840 | 5.1% |
| #6 | New York | | 3,111 | 4.1% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 2,766 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 2,649 | 3.5% |
California share of Ted's total US births 9.6%
Even split
7,221 of 75,160 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Ted appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ted? ▼
75,160 babies have been named Ted since 1880. It currently ranks #2874 among boys. The peak year was 1958 with 1,743 births.
When was Ted most popular? ▼
Ted was most popular in the 1950s decade with 14,719 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Ted most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ted are California (7,221 births), Ohio (5,133 births), Illinois (4,445 births).
How long has the name Ted been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ted since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ted? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Teddy, Teddie, Tedd, Tedrick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ted's data
- Ted's decade-level peak was the 1950s (14,719 total births); usage has since declined to 238 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Teds (7,221 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 Ted
Nearby Names Like Ted
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ted
Teddy Boy
#893 33,627 births
Teddie Boy
#12402 1,458 births
Tedd Boy
1,261 births
Tedrick Boy
#9132 750 births
Tedric Boy
247 births
Compare Ted side by side: Ted vs Teddy Ted vs Teddie Ted vs Tedd
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ted
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. "Ted: #2874 Boys' Name - 75,160 Births, Peak 1958." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ted. 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 Ted 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.