Unisex name · since 1952
Vail
Vail has 434 recorded births since 1952 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2018 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12,874 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,154 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 434
- born since 1952
- 2010s
- peak decade
434 babies have been named Vail since 1952, making it today's #6154 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Vail has been recorded 434 times among girls since 1952, currently ranked #6154 nationally and more common than 64% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1952 to 2025.
- #12,874 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #6,154 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 434 born since 1952
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Vail ranks #12,874 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,154 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 434 born since 1952, peaking in the 2010s.
- #12,874 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,154 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 434
- born since 1952
- 2010s
- peak decade
Vail's 434 recorded births place it above 82.19% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Vail compares
434 Top 48% higher than 52% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Vail's all-time total is 15% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Vail | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 434 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 53 | 21 | 19,840 |
Vail's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Vail splits its recorded history at 2015: 83% of all births land in the more recent half, 17% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1952 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 53 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Vail popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1952–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 53
- Annual births at peak, across 74 years of records
Vail popularity over time - boys
113 total births recorded since 1915 (Vail as boys' name)
Vail by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (235 births, 54% of the file).
2010s was Vail's strongest decade.
235 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 54% of all-time use.
Vail births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s 36
2000s
36 births
- 2010s
2010s
235 births
- 2020s
2020s
147 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 235 births (54% of all-time use).
Vail by state
Where Vail concentrates geographically, total births since 1952
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12 | 2.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 10 | 2.3% |
| #3 | Colorado | | 7 | 1.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 1.4% |
| #5 | Minnesota | | 5 | 1.2% |
12 of 434 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Vail's data
- Vail's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (235 total births) through the 2020s (147) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Vails (12 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Vail
Nearby Names Like Vail
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Vail
Compare Vail side by side: Vail vs Vaishnavi Vail vs Vaida Vail vs Vaidehi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Vail
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Vail: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2018)
Similar record span (~73 yrs)
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, 1952–2025 (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 Vail 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.