US rank #8964 Boys' name Peak 1971 955 births

York — #8964 US boys' name

955 babies named York in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

1880s231890s101900s61910s891920s781930s481940s651950s711960s1421970s971980s951990s692000s402010s752020s47
#8964
of 14,243 boys in use

More common than 37% of names given to boys today.

1960s
Peak decade

15% of everyone ever named York was born in this single decade.

1971
Single peak year

21 babies were named York in 1971 — its busiest year on record.

What the Data Says About York

The Social Security Administration has registered 955 babies named York between 1880 and 2024, spanning 145 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a boy's name, York currently holds the #8964 rank among boys for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 1971, when 21 babies received it in a single year.

Decade-level aggregation shows that York performed strongest in the 1960s, accumulating 142 births during that ten-year window. Across the 15 decades of recorded activity, York shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in California, which accounts for 7 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by Utah and North Carolina. In total, SSA state-level files list York in 3 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.

No etymological entry is currently available for York in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 955 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.

York at a glance

Outside the top 1,000

Total births

955

Since 1880

145 years of records

Peak year

1971

21 births that year

Strongest decade: 1960s

Current rank

#8,964

Among boys

As of 2024

Active since

1880

Recorded for 145 years

Last year on file: 2024

York popularity over time — boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1880

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1971)
21
Annual births at peak — across 145 years of records
0510152025 202420101991197719641950193119161880 5

York popularity over time — girls

11 total births recorded since 2018 (York as girls' name)

Unisex variant — 11 births
4.555.566.5 20202018 5

York by decade

Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance

Peak: 1960s
Peak decade
1960s
142 births that decade — 15% of York's all-time total
1880s231890s101900s61910s891920s781930s481940s651950s711960s1421970s971980s951990s692000s402010s752020s47

York by state

Where York concentrates geographically — total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 3 states by recorded births for the name York
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
7 0.7%
#2 Utah
6 0.6%
#3 North Carolina
5 0.5%
California share of York's total US births 0.7%
Even split

7 of 955 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name York?
955 babies have been named York since 1880. It currently ranks #8964 among boys. The peak year was 1971 with 21 births.
When was York most popular?
York was most popular in the 1960s decade with 142 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
Where is York most popular?
The top states for the name York are California (7 births), Utah (6 births), North Carolina (5 births).
How long has the name York been used?
York has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 145 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to York?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Yordi, Yordy, Yordan, Yordin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

Data Sources

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.