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NameAlmanac

Research

Original analyses of SSA’s records, each leading with its finding: the most common names of living Americans (Michael and Mary), how naming spread out (the girls’ top ten took 7.0% of births in 2025), and the names each state gives more than the rest.

Every analysis reads the SSA national and state files, published May 8, 2026, and states its method and limits.

Analyses

  1. The most common names of living AmericansSSA births carried forward with SSA’s life tables.
  2. How American naming spread out, 1880-2025The top ten names’ share of births, year by year.
  3. The names each state gives more often than the nationObserved over expected births, standardized by year.
  4. Names that changed sidesNames whose majority sex flipped, and when.
  5. Names by generationThe most typical names of Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z.
  6. The movers of 2025The biggest climbs, drops and comebacks.

Guides

  1. How SSA name data worksWhat the files hold, what they leave out, and how to read them.
  2. How names rise and fallWhat the records show about the life of a name.
  3. Gender-neutral names in the dataHow shared names are counted and how they change sides.