Total births
15,947
Boys' name · since 1880
Truman
Truman has 15,947 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1945 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1810
- among boys today
- 15,947
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Truman is the #1810 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 15,947 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Truman has been recorded 15,947 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1810 nationally and more common than 87% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1810 among boys today
- 15,947 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Truman is currently the #1810 boys' name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 15,947 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1810
- among boys today
- 15,947
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Truman vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1810
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Truman was born in this single decade.
1945
Single peak year
540 babies were named Truman in 1945 - its busiest year on record.
How Truman compares
15,947 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Truman's all-time total is 43x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Truman | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 15,947 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 540 | 23 | 22,252 |
Truman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Truman's full recorded timeline at 1953, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1887, with just 8 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1945 peak of 540 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Truman at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1945
Current rank
#1,810
Active since
1880
Truman popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1945)
- 540
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Truman popularity over time - girls
26 total births recorded since 1904 (Truman as girls' name)
Truman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Truman's strongest decade.
2,334 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Truman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 155
1880s
155 births
- 1890s 167
1890s
167 births
- 1900s 276
1900s
276 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,590 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,334 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,891 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,302 births
- 1950s 672
1950s
672 births
- 1960s 571
1960s
571 births
- 1970s 490
1970s
490 births
- 1980s 386
1980s
386 births
- 1990s 805
1990s
805 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,662 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,928 births
- 2020s 718
2020s
718 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,334 births (15% of all-time use).
How Truman 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 Truman's total volume
Truman vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Truman by state
Where Truman concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,746 | 10.9% |
| #2 | Missouri | | 919 | 5.8% |
| #3 | California | | 724 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 520 | 3.3% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 499 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 494 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 478 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 410 | 2.6% |
Texas share of Truman's total US births 10.9%
Even split
1,746 of 15,947 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Truman appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Truman? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 15,947 babies named Truman. Today it holds rank #1810 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1945, with 540 births.
When was Truman most popular? ▼
Truman was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,334 total births. The single peak year was 1945.
Where is Truman most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Truman are Texas (1,746 births), Missouri (919 births), California (724 births).
How long has the name Truman been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Truman since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Truman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Truett, Tru, True, Truitt, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Truman's data
- Truman's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,334 total births); usage has since declined to 718 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Trumans (1,746 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 Truman
Nearby Names Like Truman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Truman
Truett Boy
#648 4,484 births
Tru Boy
#616 3,794 births
True Boy
#980 2,479 births
Truitt Boy
#1867 1,537 births
Truth Boy
#1500 1,452 births
Compare Truman side by side: Truman vs Truett Truman vs Tru Truman vs True
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Truman
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Truman: #1810 Boys' Name - 15,947 Births, Peak 1945." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/truman. 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 Truman 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.