Total births
13,764
Boys' name · since 1956
Trace
13,764 babies named Trace in U.S. Social Security records since 1956, with the highest year being 2008. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #703
- among boys today
- 13,764
- born since 1956
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
13,764 babies have been named Trace since 1956, making it today's #703 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Trace has been recorded 13,764 times among boys since 1956, currently ranked #703 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- #703 among boys today
- 13,764 born since 1956
- 2000s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Trace is currently the #703 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 13,764 born since 1956, peaking in the 2000s.
- #703
- among boys today
- 13,764
- born since 1956
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Trace vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#703
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Trace was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
534 babies were named Trace in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Trace compares
13,764 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Trace's all-time total is 38x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Trace | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 13,764 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 534 | 23 | 22,252 |
Trace's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Trace's full recorded timeline at 1991, 90% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 10% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1974, with just 15 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2008 peak of 534 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Trace at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2008
Current rank
#703
Active since
1956
Trace popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 534
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Trace popularity over time - girls
348 total births recorded since 1959 (Trace as girls' name)
Trace by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Trace's strongest decade.
4,524 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Trace births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 76
1950s
76 births
- 1960s 403
1960s
403 births
- 1970s 259
1970s
259 births
- 1980s 464
1980s
464 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,409 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,524 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,465 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,164 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 4,524 births (33% of all-time use).
How Trace 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 Trace's total volume
Trace vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Trace by state
Where Trace concentrates geographically, total births since 1956
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,617 | 11.7% |
| #2 | Florida | | 799 | 5.8% |
| #3 | California | | 677 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 618 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 488 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 466 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 427 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 355 | 2.6% |
Texas share of Trace's total US births 11.7%
Even split
1,617 of 13,764 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Trace appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Trace? ▼
13,764 babies have been named Trace since 1956. It currently ranks #703 among boys. The peak year was 2008 with 534 births.
When was Trace most popular? ▼
Trace was most popular in the 2000s decade with 4,524 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Trace most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Trace are Texas (1,617 births), Florida (799 births), California (677 births).
How long has the name Trace been used? ▼
Records for Trace go back to 1956, giving 70 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Trace? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Travis, Tracy, Tracey, Travon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Trace's data
- Trace's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (4,524 total births) through the 2020s (2,164) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Traces (1,617 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Trace
Nearby Names Like Trace
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Trace
Travis Boy
#359 308,571 births
Tracy Boy
#3276 61,501 births
Tracey Boy
#7304 8,688 births
Travon Boy
#3469 6,650 births
Trae Boy
#2486 4,133 births
Compare Trace side by side: Trace vs Travis Trace vs Tracy Trace vs Tracey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Trace
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, 1956–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Trace: #703 Boys' Name - 13,764 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/trace. 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 Trace 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.