Total births
126
Unisex name · since 2020
Wave
Since 2020, U.S. Social Security records show 126 babies named Wave, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3269
- among boys today
- 126
- born since 2020
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Wave is the #3269 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 126 recorded since 2020.
Social Security Administration records show Wave recorded 126 times among boys since 2020, holding rank #3269 nationally today, ahead of 77% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2020 to 2025.
- #3269 among boys today
- 126 born since 2020
- 2020s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wave is currently the #3269 unisex name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 126 born since 2020, peaking in the 2020s.
- #3269
- among boys today
- 126
- born since 2020
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Wave vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3269
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
100% of everyone ever named Wave was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
37 babies were named Wave in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Wave compares
126 30th percentile among 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
Wave's all-time total is 66% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wave | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 126 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 37 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wave's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Wave's full recorded timeline at 2023, 77% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 23% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2020, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2024 peak of 37 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Wave at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#3,269
Active since
2020
Wave popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2020–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 37
- Annual births at peak, across 6 years of records
Wave popularity over time - girls
116 total births recorded since 1897 (Wave as girls' name)
Wave by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Wave's strongest decade.
126 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 100% of all-time use.
Wave births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2020s
2020s
126 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 126 births (100% of all-time use).
Wave by state
Where Wave concentrates geographically, total births since 2020
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 7.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 5 | 4.0% |
California share of Wave's total US births 7.9%
Even split
10 of 126 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wave? ▼
Wave has been given to 126 babies in the U.S. since 2020, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #3269 as of the latest data. 37 babies were born in 2024, its single highest year.
When was Wave most popular? ▼
Wave was most popular in the 2020s decade with 126 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Wave most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wave are California (10 births), New York (5 births).
Is Wave a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Wave is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 126 births, and as a girl's name it has 116 births.
How long has the name Wave been used? ▼
Wave has been recorded in Social Security data since 2020, spanning 6 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Wave? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Waverly, Wavie, Wavely, Wavy, and 3 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wave's data
- California records the most Waves (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Wave
Nearby Names Like Wave
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wave
Waverly Boy
#12374 1,987 births
Wavie Boy
46 births
Wavely Boy
31 births
Wavy Boy
17 births
Waverley Boy
11 births
Compare Wave side by side: Wave vs Waverly Wave vs Wavie Wave vs Wavely
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wave
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, 2020–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wave: #3269 Unisex Name - 126 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wave. 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 Wave 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.