US rank #8949 Boys' name Peak 1921 2,644 births

Washington — #8949 US boys' name

2,644 babies named Washington in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

1880s2151890s1621900s1441910s3711920s4151930s2491940s2411950s1651960s1191970s1211980s811990s1042000s842010s1292020s44
#8949
of 14,243 boys in use

More common than 37% of names given to boys today.

1920s
Peak decade

16% of everyone ever named Washington was born in this single decade.

1921
Single peak year

60 babies were named Washington in 1921 — its busiest year on record.

What the Data Says About Washington

The Social Security Administration has registered 2,644 babies named Washington between 1880 and 2024, spanning 145 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a boy's name, Washington currently holds the #8949 rank among boys for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 1921, when 60 babies received it in a single year.

Decade-level aggregation shows that Washington performed strongest in the 1920s, accumulating 415 births during that ten-year window. Across the 15 decades of recorded activity, Washington shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in South Carolina, which accounts for 60 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by Alabama and Mississippi. In total, SSA state-level files list Washington in 13 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.

No etymological entry is currently available for Washington in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 2,644 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.

Washington at a glance

Outside the top 1,000

Total births

2,644

Since 1880

145 years of records

Peak year

1921

60 births that year

Strongest decade: 1920s

Current rank

#8,949

Among boys

As of 2024

Active since

1880

Recorded for 145 years

Last year on file: 2024

Washington popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1880

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1921)
60
Annual births at peak — across 145 years of records
020406080 202420061988196919511933191518971880 24

Washington by decade

Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance

Peak: 1920s
Peak decade
1920s
415 births that decade — 16% of Washington's all-time total
1880s2151890s1621900s1441910s3711920s4151930s2491940s2411950s1651960s1191970s1211980s811990s1042000s842010s1292020s44

Washington by state

Where Washington concentrates geographically — total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Washington
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 South Carolina
60 2.3%
#2 Alabama
54 2.0%
#3 Mississippi
49 1.9%
#4 Georgia
41 1.6%
#5 North Carolina
32 1.2%
#6 Virginia
29 1.1%
#7 Louisiana
21 0.8%
#8 Texas
20 0.8%
South Carolina share of Washington's total US births 2.3%
Even split

60 of 2,644 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.

Washington appears in 13 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Washington?
2,644 babies have been named Washington since 1880. It currently ranks #8949 among boys. The peak year was 1921 with 60 births.
When was Washington most popular?
Washington was most popular in the 1920s decade with 415 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Washington most popular?
The top states for the name Washington are South Carolina (60 births), Alabama (54 births), Mississippi (49 births).
How long has the name Washington been used?
Washington has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 145 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Washington?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wash, Waseem, Wassim, Wasim, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

Keep exploring Washington

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Data Sources

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.