Boys' name · since 1948
Whalen
Whalen has 203 recorded births since 1948 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12,875 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,028 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 203
- born since 1948
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Whalen is the #9028 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 203 recorded since 1948.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Whalen has been recorded 203 times among boys since 1948, currently ranked #9028 nationally and more common than 35% of boys, 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 1948 to 2025.
- #12,875 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #9,028 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 203 born since 1948
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Whalen ranks #12,875 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #9,028 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 203 born since 1948, peaking in the 2010s.
- #12,875 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,028 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 203
- born since 1948
- 2010s
- peak decade
Whalen's 203 recorded births place it above 71.68% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
How Whalen compares
203 38th percentile among 13,930 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
Whalen's all-time total is 45% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Whalen | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 203 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 14 | 34 | 22,252 |
Whalen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Whalen's SSA record in two at 2013 and the more recent half accounts for 62% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 38%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1949, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2021 peak of 14, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Whalen popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Whalen by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (72 births, 35% of the file).
2010s was Whalen's strongest decade.
72 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Whalen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 11
1940s
11 births
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1960s 6
1960s
6 births
- 1970s 24
1970s
24 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 15
2000s
15 births
- 2010s
2010s
72 births
- 2020s
2020s
64 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 72 births (35% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Whalen's data
- Whalen's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (72 total births) through the 2020s (64) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Whalen
Nearby Names Like Whalen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Whalen
Compare Whalen side by side: Whalen vs Wharton Whalen vs Whaley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Whalen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Whalen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2021)
Similar record span (~77 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, 1948–2025 (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 Whalen 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.