Total births
169
Boys' name · since 1996
Tracer
169 babies named Tracer in U.S. Social Security records since 1996, with the highest year being 1998. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9387
- among boys today
- 169
- born since 1996
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 34%
- more common than other boys
169 babies have been named Tracer since 1996, making it today's #9387 boys' name.
Tracer has 169 recorded births among boys since 1996, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9387 as of the latest data, more common than 34% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1996 to 2024.
- #9387 among boys today
- 169 born since 1996
- 1990s peak decade
- 34% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tracer is currently the #9387 boys' name in America, more common than 34% of boys - 169 born since 1996, peaking in the 1990s.
- #9387
- among boys today
- 169
- born since 1996
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 34%
- more common than other boys
Tracer vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9387
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 34% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Tracer was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
22 babies were named Tracer in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Tracer compares
169 35th 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
Tracer's all-time total is 54% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tracer | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 169 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 22 | 23 | 22,252 |
Tracer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tracer splits its recorded history at 2006: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2003 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1998 peak of 22 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tracer at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#9,387
Active since
1996
Tracer popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1996–2024
- Peak year (1998)
- 22
- Annual births at peak, across 29 years of records
Tracer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Tracer's strongest decade.
60 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Tracer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s
1990s
60 births
- 2000s
2000s
53 births
- 2010s
2010s
35 births
- 2020s 21
2020s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 60 births (36% of all-time use).
Tracer by state
Where Tracer concentrates geographically, total births since 1996
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 10 | 5.9% |
Texas share of Tracer's total US births 5.9%
10 of 169 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tracer? ▼
Since 1996, Social Security records show 169 babies named Tracer. Today it holds rank #9387 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 22 births.
When was Tracer most popular? ▼
Tracer was most popular in the 1990s decade with 60 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Tracer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tracer are Texas (10 births).
How long has the name Tracer been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Tracer since 1996 -- 29 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Tracer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Travis, Tracy, Trace, Tracey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Tracer's data
- Tracer's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (60 total births) through the 2020s (21) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Tracers (10 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 Tracer
Nearby Names Like Tracer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tracer
Travis Boy
#359 308,571 births
Tracy Boy
#3276 61,501 births
Trace Boy
#703 13,764 births
Tracey Boy
#7304 8,688 births
Travon Boy
#3469 6,650 births
Compare Tracer side by side: Tracer vs Travis Tracer vs Tracy Tracer vs Trace
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tracer
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, 1996–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tracer: #9387 Boys' Name - 169 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tracer. 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 Tracer 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.