Total births
203
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.
- #7861
- among boys today
- 203
- born since 1948
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Whalen is the #7861 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 #7861 nationally and more common than 45% 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.
- #7861 among boys today
- 203 born since 1948
- 2010s peak decade
- 45% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Whalen is currently the #7861 boys' name in America, more common than 45% of boys - 203 born since 1948, peaking in the 2010s.
- #7861
- among boys today
- 203
- born since 1948
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other boys
Whalen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7861
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 45% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Whalen was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
14 babies were named Whalen in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Whalen compares
203 38th 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
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 (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 203 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 14 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2021
Current rank
#7,861
Active since
1948
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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
How popular is the name Whalen? ▼
Whalen has been given to 203 babies in the U.S. since 1948, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #7861 as of the latest data. 14 babies were born in 2021, its single highest year.
When was Whalen most popular? ▼
Whalen was most popular in the 2010s decade with 72 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
How long has the name Whalen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Whalen since 1948 -- 78 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Whalen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wharton, Whaley. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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.
- 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 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
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Whalen: #7861 Boys' Name - 203 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/whalen. 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 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 July 2026.