Unisex name · since 1884
Temple
Temple has 1,568 recorded births since 1884 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1971 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5,539 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,122 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,568
- born since 1884
- 1970s
- peak decade
1,568 babies have been named Temple since 1884, making it today's #10122 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Temple recorded 1,568 times among girls since 1884, holding rank #10122 nationally today, ahead of 41% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #5,539 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #10,122 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,568 born since 1884
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Temple ranks #5,539 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,122 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,568 born since 1884, peaking in the 1970s.
- #5,539 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,122 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,568
- born since 1884
- 1970s
- peak decade
Temple's 1,568 recorded births place it above 92.34% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
8 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Temple compares
1,568 Top 26% higher than 74% of 17,297 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
Temple's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Temple | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,568 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 88 | 21 | 19,840 |
Temple's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Temple splits its recorded history at 1966: 63% of all births land in the more recent half, 37% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1884 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1971 peak of 88 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Temple popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 88
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Temple popularity over time - boys
828 total births recorded since 1888 (Temple as boys' name)
Temple by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (330 births, 21% of the file).
1970s was Temple's strongest decade.
330 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Temple births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 17
1890s
17 births
- 1900s 26
1900s
26 births
- 1910s 67
1910s
67 births
- 1920s 63
1920s
63 births
- 1930s 86
1930s
86 births
- 1940s 85
1940s
85 births
- 1950s 82
1950s
82 births
- 1960s
1960s
277 births
- 1970s
1970s
330 births
- 1980s 89
1980s
89 births
- 1990s 110
1990s
110 births
- 2000s 110
2000s
110 births
- 2010s
2010s
158 births
- 2020s 63
2020s
63 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 330 births (21% of all-time use).
How Temple 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 Temple's total volume
Temple by state
Where Temple concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 38 | 2.4% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #3 | Virginia | | 10 | 0.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 9 | 0.6% |
| #5 | California | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.3% |
38 of 1,568 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Temple? ▼
Where does Temple sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Temple most popular? ▼
Where is Temple most popular? ▼
Is Temple a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Temple been used? ▼
What names are similar to Temple? ▼
What to do with Temple's data
- Temple's decade-level peak was the 1970s (330 total births); usage has since declined to 63 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Temples (38 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 Temple
Nearby Names Like Temple
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Temple
Compare Temple side by side: Temple vs Temperance Temple vs Tempie Temple vs Temeka
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Temple
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Temple: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1971)
Similar record span (~141 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, 1884–2025 (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 Temple 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.