Boys' name · since 1909
Whitman
Since 1909, U.S. Social Security records show 901 babies named Whitman, peaking in 2018. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,499 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,463 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 901
- born since 1909
- 2010s
- peak decade
Whitman currently ranks #3463 among boys' names in America, with 901 babies recorded since 1909.
Whitman has 901 recorded births among boys since 1909, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3463 as of the latest data, more common than 75% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #5,499 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,463 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 901 born since 1909
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Whitman ranks #5,499 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,463 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 901 born since 1909, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5,499 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,463 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 901
- born since 1909
- 2010s
- peak decade
Whitman's 901 recorded births place it above 87.9% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by Alabama.
How Whitman compares
901 Top 33% higher than 67% of 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
Whitman's all-time total is 144% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Whitman | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 901 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 39 | 34 | 22,252 |
Whitman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Whitman's full recorded timeline at 1992, 76% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 24% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1909, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2018 peak of 39 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Whitman popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 39
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Whitman by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (308 births, 34% of the file).
2010s was Whitman's strongest decade.
308 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Whitman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 47
1910s
47 births
- 1920s 36
1920s
36 births
- 1930s 19
1930s
19 births
- 1940s 22
1940s
22 births
- 1950s 19
1950s
19 births
- 1960s 18
1960s
18 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 33
1980s
33 births
- 1990s 66
1990s
66 births
- 2000s
2000s
155 births
- 2010s
2010s
308 births
- 2020s
2020s
167 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 308 births (34% of all-time use).
How Whitman compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Whitman's total volume
Whitman by state
Where Whitman concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 8 | 0.9% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 5 | 0.6% |
8 of 901 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Whitman's data
- Whitman's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (308 total births) through the 2020s (167) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Alabama records the most Whitmans (8 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Whitman
Nearby Names Like Whitman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Whitman
Compare Whitman side by side: Whitman vs Whitney Whitman vs Whit Whitman vs Whitaker
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Whitman
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Whitman: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2018)
Similar record span (~116 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, 1909–2025 (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 Whitman 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.