Boys' name · since 1959

Twain

130 babies named Twain in U.S. Social Security records since 1959, with the highest year being 1966. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#15,726 of 45,481
all-time among boys
130
born since 1959
1960s
peak decade

130 boys have been named Twain since 1959, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Twain has been recorded 130 times among boys since 1959, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1959 to 2011.

  • #15,726 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 130 born since 1959
  • 1960s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Twain ranks #15,726 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 130 born since 1959, peaking in the 1960s.

#15,726 of 45,481
all-time among boys
130
born since 1959
1960s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Twain's 130 recorded births place it above 65.41% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Twain's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Twain's SSA record in two at 1970 and the more recent half accounts for 54% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 46%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1961, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1966 peak of 9, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Twain popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1959–2011

Last recorded 2011
Peak year (1966)
9
Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
45678910 19591963196619691973197619902011 5

Twain by decade

1960s is the heaviest window (53 births, 41% of the file).

1960s was Twain's strongest decade.

53 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.

Twain births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1960s at 53 births (41% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Twain? ▼
Twain has been given to 130 babies in the U.S. since 1959, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #15,726 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 2011. 9 babies were born in 1966, its single highest year.
Where does Twain sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Twain ranks #15,726 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Twain most popular? ▼
Twain was most popular in the 1960s decade with 53 total births. The single peak year was 1966.
How long has the name Twain been used? ▼
Records for Twain go back to 1959, giving 53 years of history through 2011.
What names are similar to Twain? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Twan, Twayne. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Twain's data

  • Twain's decade-level peak was the 1960s (53 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Twain

Nearby Names Like Twain

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Twain

Twan Boy
217 births
Twayne Boy
15 births

Compare Twain side by side: Twain vs Twan Twain vs Twayne

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Bell
130 births · Peak 1915
Burnham
130 births · Peak 1918
Meril
130 births · Peak 1922
Newel
130 births · Peak 1921
Deloyd
130 births · Peak 1935
Jerol
130 births · Peak 1938
Terrall
130 births · Peak 1980
Tery
130 births · Peak 1955

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Twain: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1959–2011 (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 Twain 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.