Total births
25
Boys' name · since 2017
Tolkien
Since 2017, U.S. Social Security records show 25 babies named Tolkien, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9761
- among boys today
- 25
- born since 2017
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 32%
- more common than other boys
25 babies have been named Tolkien since 2017, making it today's #9761 boys' name.
Tolkien has 25 recorded births among boys since 2017, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9761 as of the latest data, more common than 32% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2017 to 2025.
- #9761 among boys today
- 25 born since 2017
- 2020s peak decade
- 32% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tolkien is currently the #9761 boys' name in America, more common than 32% of boys - 25 born since 2017, peaking in the 2020s.
- #9761
- among boys today
- 25
- born since 2017
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 32%
- more common than other boys
Tolkien vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9761
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 32% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
76% of everyone ever named Tolkien was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
8 babies were named Tolkien in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Tolkien compares
25 9th percentile among 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
Tolkien's all-time total is 93% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tolkien | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 25 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8 | 23 | 22,252 |
Tolkien's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Tolkien's SSA record in two at 2024 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 2025, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 8, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Tolkien at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#9,761
Active since
2017
Tolkien popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2017–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 9 years of records
Tolkien by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Tolkien's strongest decade.
19 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 76% of all-time use.
Tolkien births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
- 2020s
2020s
19 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 19 births (76% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tolkien? ▼
Tolkien has been given to 25 babies in the U.S. since 2017, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #9761 as of the latest data. 8 babies were born in 2024, its single highest year.
When was Tolkien most popular? ▼
Tolkien was most popular in the 2020s decade with 19 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
How long has the name Tolkien been used? ▼
Tolkien has been recorded in Social Security data since 2017, spanning 9 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Tolkien? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tolbert, Tollie, Toluwani, Toluwanimi, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
Keep exploring Tolkien
Nearby Names Like Tolkien
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tolkien
Tolbert Boy
792 births
Tollie Boy
566 births
Toluwani Boy
#11713 79 births
Toluwanimi Boy
67 births
Toliver Boy
#12538 46 births
Compare Tolkien side by side: Tolkien vs Tolbert Tolkien vs Tollie Tolkien vs Toluwani
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tolkien
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, 2017–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tolkien: #9761 Boys' Name - 25 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tolkien. 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 Tolkien 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.