Unisex name · since 2006
Theory
Since 2006, U.S. Social Security records show 165 babies named Theory, peaking in 2023. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #21,802 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,075 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 165
- born since 2006
- 2020s
- peak decade
Theory currently ranks #6075 among unisex names in America, with 165 babies recorded since 2006.
Social Security Administration records show Theory recorded 165 times among girls since 2006, holding rank #6075 nationally today, ahead of 65% of girls, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2006 to 2025.
- #21,802 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #6,075 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 165 born since 2006
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Theory ranks #21,802 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,075 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 165 born since 2006, peaking in the 2020s.
- #21,802 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,075 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 165
- born since 2006
- 2020s
- peak decade
Theory's 165 recorded births place it above 69.85% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
How Theory compares
165 33rd percentile among 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
Theory's all-time total is 56% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Theory | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 165 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 21 | 19,840 |
Theory's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Theory splits its recorded history at 2018: 70% of all births land in the more recent half, 30% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 2006 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2023 peak of 20 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Theory popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2006–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 20 years of records
Theory popularity over time - boys
92 total births recorded since 2009 (Theory as boys' name)
Theory by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (100 births, 61% of the file).
2020s was Theory's strongest decade.
100 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 61% of all-time use.
Theory births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
- 2010s
2010s
60 births
- 2020s
2020s
100 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 100 births (61% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Keep exploring Theory
Nearby Names Like Theory
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Theory
Compare Theory side by side: Theory vs Theresa Theory vs Thelma Theory vs Therese
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Theory
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Theory: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~19 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, 2006–2025 (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 Theory 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.