Unisex name · since 1917
Varnell
Varnell has 180 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1956 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #13,628 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 180
- born since 1917
- 1930s
- peak decade
Varnell is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 180 have been recorded since 1917.
Varnell has 180 recorded births among boys since 1917, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 1987.
- #13,628 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 180 born since 1917
- 1930s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Varnell ranks #13,628 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 180 born since 1917, peaking in the 1930s.
- #13,628 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 180
- born since 1917
- 1930s
- peak decade
Varnell's 180 recorded births place it above 70.03% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Varnell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Varnell's SSA record in two at 1945 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1917, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1956 peak of 10, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Varnell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–1987
- Peak year (1956)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
Varnell popularity over time - girls
98 total births recorded since 1915 (Varnell as girls' name)
Varnell by decade
1930s is the heaviest window (42 births, 23% of the file).
1930s was Varnell's strongest decade.
42 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Varnell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 11
1910s
11 births
- 1920s
1920s
38 births
- 1930s
1930s
42 births
- 1940s
1940s
22 births
- 1950s
1950s
38 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s
1970s
19 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 42 births (23% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where does Varnell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
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What to do with Varnell's data
- Varnell's decade-level peak was the 1930s (42 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- 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 Varnell
Nearby Names Like Varnell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Varnell
Compare Varnell side by side: Varnell vs Varun Varnell vs Varian Varnell vs Varick
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Varnell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~70 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, 1917–1987 (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 Varnell 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.