Boys' name · since 1988
Xu
Since 1988, U.S. Social Security records show 10 babies named Xu, peaking in 1988. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #35,822 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,556 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 10
- born since 1988
- 1980s
- peak decade
Yes -- Xu is the #12556 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 10 recorded since 1988.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Xu has been recorded 10 times among boys since 1988, currently ranked #12556 nationally and more common than 10% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1988 to 2025.
- #35,822 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,556 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 10 born since 1988
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Xu ranks #35,822 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,556 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 10 born since 1988, peaking in the 1980s.
- #35,822 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,556 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 10
- born since 1988
- 1980s
- peak decade
Xu's 10 recorded births place it above 21.08% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
How Xu compares
10 3rd 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
Xu's all-time total is 97% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Xu | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5 | 34 | 22,252 |
Xu's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Xu splits its recorded history at 2025: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1988 (5 births).
Xu popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1988–2025
- Peak year (1988)
- 5
- Annual births at peak, across 38 years of records
Xu by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (5 births, 50% of the file).
1980s was Xu's strongest decade.
5 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Xu births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
5 births
- 2020s
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 5 births (50% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Xu? ▼
Where does Xu sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Xu most popular? ▼
How long has the name Xu been used? ▼
What names are similar to Xu? ▼
What to do with Xu's data
- Xu's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (5 total births) through the 2020s (5) -- 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 Xu
Nearby Names Like Xu
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Xu
Compare Xu side by side: Xu vs Xue Xu vs Xuan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Xu
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Xu: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1988)
Similar record span (~37 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, 1988–2025 (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 Xu 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.