How Many Americans Share Your First Name? 100 Name Statistics for 2026
How many Americans share your first name? For example, if it is Michael, the answer is about 3.56 million. Our 2026 estimate counts the living holders of every first name recorded by the Social Security Administration since 1900, and it finds that just 60 names cover a quarter of the country.
To build it, we combined 126 years of SSA birth records with the agency’s own cohort life tables, which estimate how many people born in each year are still living. The result also shows something less obvious: men’s names are more than twice as concentrated as women’s. Below are 100 statistics, the full top 100, and a check against the 2020 Census.
3.56Mliving Americans named Michael, the most common first name
60first names that together cover a quarter of living Americans
70median age of the 1.66 million living women named Mary
16.9%of men share one of ten names, versus 7.9% of women
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Michael is the most common first name in America, with an estimated 3.56 million living holders in 2026.
- James, John, David and Robert follow, each shared by more than 2.5 million living Americans.
- Mary is the most common women’s name, with 1.66 million living holders; Jennifer is second, with 1.39 million.
- 26 names are each shared by at least a million living Americans; only six of them are women’s names.
- 60 names cover a quarter of the population, and 255 names cover half.
- Men’s names are twice as concentrated: 16.9% of men share one of ten names, compared with 7.9% of women.
- Names have ages: the median living Betty is 78, the median Mary 70, and the median Liam 9.
- J is the first initial of one living American in eight.
- Our estimate closely tracks the 2020 Census, which counted 3,476,721 Michaels; 56 of the top 100 Census names fall within 10% of our figures.
How many Americans share your first name: the most common names in 2026
Our estimate counts the living holders of every first name recorded by the Social Security Administration since 1900. For example, the chart shows the 20 names shared by the most living Americans; women’s names appear in black.
The 20 most shared first names
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The 100 most common first names, 1 to 50
# Name Living Americans, 2026 (est.) Women Median age 2020 Census count 1 Michael 3,559,300 1% 51 3,476,721 2 James 2,878,100 <1% 58 2,996,421 3 John 2,686,700 <1% 59 3,125,123 4 David 2,668,900 <1% 56 2,813,017 5 Robert 2,533,900 <1% 61 2,759,339 6 William 2,145,200 <1% 55 2,240,114 7 Christopher 1,893,100 <1% 41 1,499,872 8 Mary 1,667,500 >99% 70 1,768,343 9 Joseph 1,661,800 <1% 44 1,600,667 10 Daniel 1,614,800 <1% 41 1,607,193 11 Matthew 1,527,600 <1% 37 1,315,151 12 Thomas 1,431,600 <1% 58 1,506,606 13 Richard 1,411,900 <1% 63 1,575,998 14 Jennifer 1,390,200 >99% 47 1,331,077 15 Anthony 1,199,600 <1% 39 1,075,181 16 Joshua 1,193,800 <1% 34 939,718 17 Charles 1,175,700 1% 59 1,207,972 18 Elizabeth 1,133,500 >99% 43 1,206,652 19 Andrew 1,127,400 <1% 35 1,075,513 20 Mark 1,076,700 <1% 60 1,135,541 21 Linda 1,056,700 >99% 73 1,164,876 22 Steven 1,039,700 <1% 56 972,808 23 Kevin 1,037,100 <1% 47 1,015,227 24 Brian 1,025,500 <1% 49 1,011,020 25 Jessica 1,018,400 >99% 39 957,447 26 Patricia 1,008,000 >99% 71 1,189,825 27 Jason 975,400 <1% 46 898,652 28 Ryan 945,600 3% 34 874,269 29 Jacob 927,300 <1% 26 805,730 30 Timothy 902,300 <1% 52 802,946 31 Sarah 885,400 >99% 38 874,128 32 Lisa 872,000 >99% 58 864,260 33 Susan 862,100 >99% 68 979,771 34 Ashley 852,300 98% 35 752,330 35 Nicholas 840,400 <1% 32 711,305 36 Jonathan 814,100 <1% 35 717,208 37 Emily 813,000 >99% 28 755,529 38 Jeffrey 812,500 <1% 56 735,428 39 Barbara 798,400 >99% 74 943,006 40 Paul 797,500 <1% 60 907,225 41 Karen 792,800 >99% 65 882,576 42 Eric 792,800 1% 45 767,096 43 Kimberly 788,700 >99% 52 696,165 44 Kenneth 764,600 <1% 61 755,679 45 Michelle 761,100 >99% 51 757,098 46 Justin 752,200 <1% 36 668,566 47 Amanda 746,400 >99% 40 698,989 48 Brandon 740,900 1% 33 642,620 49 Benjamin 716,600 <1% 28 606,324 50 Melissa 716,200 >99% 47 675,224
The 100 most common first names, 51 to 100
# Name Living Americans, 2026 (est.) Women Median age 2020 Census count 51 Stephanie 697,900 >99% 42 657,760 52 Alexander 674,000 1% 25 556,757 53 Scott 649,300 <1% 56 655,952 54 Sandra 646,800 >99% 69 780,828 55 Rebecca 644,600 >99% 48 645,350 56 Amy 638,300 >99% 49 625,127 57 Stephen 637,500 <1% 56 665,596 58 Ronald 637,100 <1% 67 689,843 59 Donald 631,300 <1% 67 715,624 60 Nancy 628,300 >99% 71 772,570 61 Samuel 623,500 <1% 28 566,085 62 Angela 605,200 >99% 51 600,162 63 Laura 604,200 >99% 53 679,856 64 Deborah 602,100 >99% 69 622,217 65 Tyler 600,800 3% 29 541,525 66 Cynthia 588,500 >99% 64 597,780 67 Gary 587,600 <1% 68 656,593 68 Donna 583,300 >99% 68 635,065 69 Samantha 580,000 >99% 31 517,508 70 Edward 577,800 <1% 61 616,122 71 Nicole 574,800 >99% 40 544,076 72 Gregory 569,600 <1% 57 503,949 73 Emma 567,900 >99% 17 498,221 74 Aaron 564,000 1% 35 494,237 75 Patrick 546,000 <1% 46 551,884 76 Olivia 542,600 >99% 16 449,373 77 Nathan 538,300 <1% 28 481,621 78 Adam 535,100 <1% 38 496,300 79 Sharon 534,600 >99% 69 583,755 80 George 534,000 1% 63 631,924 81 Zachary 533,000 <1% 30 435,262 82 Jordan 520,000 26% 27 452,330 83 Noah 517,800 1% 14 372,421 84 Jose 515,100 1% 32 1,211,106 85 Carol 510,700 99% 73 614,466 86 Kelly 507,600 87% 48 499,222 87 Rachel 506,200 >99% 37 493,726 88 Heather 501,300 >99% 45 473,464 89 Kathleen 500,600 >99% 68 547,321 90 Brenda 489,800 >99% 66 521,400 91 Pamela 487,500 >99% 66 495,991 92 Larry 486,100 1% 69 512,456 93 Ethan 478,700 <1% 19 403,009 94 Katherine 477,900 >99% 40 470,588 95 Margaret 470,800 >99% 68 549,715 96 Kyle 466,800 2% 34 436,151 97 Lauren 464,600 99% 34 449,365 98 Victoria 464,300 >99% 31 452,646 99 Maria 462,600 99% 46 1,652,966 100 Christine 456,900 >99% 58 482,596
Estimated living Americans born in the United States since 1900 who were given each first name, as of mid-2026, rounded to the nearest 100. Women shows the share of holders who are female. Median age refers to holders of the name’s more common sex. The 2020 Census count covers all residents, including those born abroad, and is shown for the 1,000 most common Census names. Source: Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA baby name data and SSA cohort life tables; U.S. Census Bureau.
The most common names
- 1.ATELIER ANALYSIS3.56 million living Americans are named Michael, by our 2026 estimate. Michael is therefore the most widely shared first name in the country. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 2.ATELIER ANALYSIS1 in 77 Americans in our 2026 estimate answers to Michael. Among men alone, however, the share is 2.6%. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 3.ATELIER ANALYSISFive men’s names are each shared by more than 2.5 million living Americans in 2026. Specifically, they are Michael, James (2.88 million), John (2.69 million), David (2.67 million) and Robert (2.53 million). — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 4.ATELIER ANALYSIS26 first names are each held by at least one million living Americans in 2026. Of these, however, 20 are men’s names and only 6 are women’s names. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 5.ATELIER ANALYSIS8.6% of living Americans share one of just ten first names, by our 2026 estimate. Moreover, the 100 most common names cover 32.9%. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
How concentrated names are
- 6.ATELIER ANALYSISMary and Jennifer are the only women’s names among the 15 most common first names in America in 2026. Mary ranks eighth overall, and Jennifer ranks 14th. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 7.ATELIER ANALYSIS60 first names are enough to cover a quarter of all living Americans in our estimate. Half of the population, in turn, shares one of 255 names (2026). — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 8.ATELIER ANALYSIS76.4% of living Americans carry one of the 1,000 most common first names in 2026. The remaining quarter, by contrast, is spread across tens of thousands of rarer names. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 9.ATELIER ANALYSIS16.9% of living men share one of the ten most common men’s names, compared with 7.9% of women for the top ten women’s names (2026). In other words, men’s names are more than twice as concentrated. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 10.ATELIER ANALYSIS272.4 million living Americans born in the United States since 1900 are covered by our 2026 estimate. In addition, it includes every name recorded at least five times in a birth year. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
What this means for you. If your name is Michael, Mary or James, you share it with more than a million living Americans. Your initials, however, can still be entirely your own. Our guide to the luxury personal monogram explains how a well-drawn cipher sets a common name apart.
The most common women’s names
Women’s names are spread across many more choices than men’s. As a result, even the most common women’s name, Mary, belongs to only about one woman in 82.
The leading women’s names
- 11.ATELIER ANALYSISMary is the most common first name among living American women, with an estimated 1.66 million in 2026. Even so, half of them are 70 or older. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 12.ATELIER ANALYSIS1.2% of living women are named Mary in 2026. In other words, that is roughly one woman in 82. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 13.ATELIER ANALYSISJennifer ranks second among women, with 1.39 million living holders in 2026. The typical Jennifer, however, is only 47. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 14.ATELIER ANALYSISElizabeth is the third most shared women’s name, at 1.13 million in 2026. Unlike most classic names, it has stayed in steady use, so its holders have a median age of 43. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 15.ATELIER ANALYSISLinda, Jessica and Patricia complete the six women’s names held by more than a million living Americans in 2026. Their holders’ median ages, however, range from 39 (Jessica) to 73 (Linda). — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
Younger women’s names
- 16.ATELIER ANALYSISPatricia is shared by 1.01 million living women in 2026, the sixth most among women’s names. Its holders, however, have a median age of 71. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 17.ATELIER ANALYSISSarah, Lisa, Susan and Ashley complete the ten most common women’s names in 2026, with 839,000 to 883,000 living holders each. Their holders’ median ages, however, range from 35 (Ashley) to 68 (Susan). — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 18.ATELIER ANALYSISEmily is the most common women’s name among those whose typical holder is under 30, with 811,000 living holders in 2026. Its median holder, moreover, is 28. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 19.ATELIER ANALYSISOlivia, the No. 1 girls’ name since 2019, is already shared by about 542,000 living Americans in 2026. About 86% of them, moreover, are under 30, and the median holder is 16. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
The most common men’s names
A handful of classic names, most of them biblical or royal in origin, dominate among American men. Each has been passed from generation to generation for more than a century.
The leading men’s names
- 20.ATELIER ANALYSISJames is the second most common first name in America, with 2.86 million living men in 2026. Among men, only Michael is more common. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 21.ATELIER ANALYSISMichael owes its lead to a long run of popularity: the median living Michael is 51 years old in 2026. As a result, its holders span every generation from the Silent Generation to Gen Alpha. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 22.ATELIER ANALYSISRobert has the oldest holders among the top five names, with a median age of 61 in 2026. Even so, 2.52 million living men share the name. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 23.ATELIER ANALYSISChristopher is the youngest of the seven most common men’s names, with a median holder aged 41 (2026). Even so, it is shared by 1.88 million living men. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 24.ATELIER ANALYSISWilliam remains in the top ten for newborns, and 2.14 million living men share it in 2026. As a result, its holders range widely in age, with a median of 55. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
Younger men’s names
- 25.ATELIER ANALYSISJoseph is shared by 1.66 million living men in 2026, and Daniel by 1.61 million. Both names have younger holders than most classics, with median ages of 44 and 41. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 26.ATELIER ANALYSISLiam, the No. 1 boys’ name of 2025, is already carried by about 355,000 living boys and young men in 2026. Their median age, however, is just 9. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 27.ATELIER ANALYSISMatthew has the youngest holders among the ten most common men’s names, with a median age of 37 in 2026. Even so, it is shared by 1.52 million living men. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
What this means for families. Men’s names are more often repeated across generations, which is why a few names cover so many men. A family crest gives that continuity a visible form, joining fathers and sons under one symbol.
How old is your name? The age of every name
Each name carries an age profile. For instance, the median Betty is 78, while the median Mateo is 7.
Median age by name
The oldest and youngest names
- 28.ATELIER ANALYSISBetty has the oldest holders of any first name shared by at least 100,000 living Americans: their median age is 78 in 2026. Shirley and Dorothy follow, both at a median of 77. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 29.ATELIER ANALYSISLarry, Harold and Ralph share the oldest holders among men’s names with at least 100,000 living holders, at a median age of 69 in 2026. Gary and Dennis follow, at 68. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 30.ATELIER ANALYSISMateo and Ezra have the youngest holders of any name shared by at least 100,000 Americans, with a median age of 7 in 2026. Oliver, Hudson and Asher follow at 8. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 31.ATELIER ANALYSISHarper, Camila, Ellie, Penelope, Scarlett and Violet have the youngest holders among women’s names with at least 100,000 holders. All six, in fact, have a median age of 9 in 2026. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
How many holders are still living
- 32.ATELIER ANALYSIS19.5% of all Helens recorded since 1880 are still living in 2026, the lowest share of any name given to at least 500,000 Americans. Dorothy follows at 21.5%. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 33.ATELIER ANALYSIS40% of the 4.14 million girls named Mary since 1880 are estimated to be living in 2026. By contrast, 97.6% of all Ashleys are. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 34.ATELIER ANALYSIS1988 is the median birth year of the living Americans in our 2026 estimate. Half of them, in other words, are 38 or younger. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 35.ATELIER ANALYSIS74% of the Americans born in 1956 are estimated to be living in 2026, at age 70. Of those born in 1936, by contrast, about 21% are. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 36.ATELIER ANALYSISAbout 30,000 Americans born in 1926 are estimated to be living in 2026, at age 100. That is 1.3% of the 2.3 million babies recorded that year. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 37.ATELIER ANALYSISEmma and Olivia are the most common names whose typical holder is still a teenager, with 567,000 and 542,000 living holders in 2026. Noah leads the boys in that group, at 513,000. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
Recorded births and living Americans
The oldest and youngest names
Oldest names Median age Living holders Youngest names Median age Living holders Betty 78 310,000 Mateo 7 125,000 Shirley 77 293,000 Ezra 7 101,000 Dorothy 77 239,000 Oliver 8 230,000 Judith 76 284,000 Hudson 8 112,000 Joan 76 214,000 Asher 8 110,000 Doris 76 120,000 Liam 9 355,000 Phyllis 75 134,000 Harper 9 138,000 Barbara 74 797,000 Grayson 9 127,000 Joyce 74 270,000 Camila 9 123,000 Judy 74 258,000 Scarlett 9 110,000
Among first names (by sex) with at least 100,000 estimated living holders in 2026. Median age is the age by which half of living holders were born. Source: Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data.
Living longer with a name
- 38.82.1 years for boys and 86.4 for girls is the projected cohort life expectancy of Americans born in 2025. Those born in 1940, by contrast, could expect 70.2 and 76.4 years. — 2026 Social Security Trustees Report
- 39.19.1 more years for men and 21.7 for women is the cohort life expectancy of Americans who turned 65 in 2025. In other words, many of today’s Lindas and Garys will share their names for decades yet. — 2026 Social Security Trustees Report
- 40.80,139 centenarians were counted in the 2020 Census, up 50% from 53,364 in 2010. Of these, moreover, 78.8% were women. — Census Bureau
How many people share your name
Most Americans share their first name with a great many others. Yet tens of thousands of names belong to only a few hundred living people each.
How widely names are shared
Names by number of holders
Your name is shared by… Number of names Living Americans with those names Share of population 1 million or more 26 42.0 million 15.4% 500,000 to 1 million 59 40.0 million 14.7% 100,000 to 500,000 446 91.8 million 33.7% 10,000 to 100,000 1,972 61.7 million 22.7% 1,000 to 10,000 8,634 24.9 million 9.2% 100 to 999 30,183 10.1 million 3.7% 1 to 99 71,958 1.8 million 0.7%
Each sex is counted separately; estimates are for mid-2026. Names given to fewer than five babies in every year are not published by the SSA and are not included. Source: Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data.
Common and rare names
- 41.ATELIER ANALYSIS42.0 million living Americans share one of the names held by a million or more people in 2026. That is 15.4% of our estimate. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 42.ATELIER ANALYSIS59 more names are shared by 500,000 to one million living Americans each (2026). Another 446 names, meanwhile, have 100,000 to 500,000 holders. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 43.ATELIER ANALYSIS63.8% of living Americans share a name with at least 100,000 others in 2026. That group consists of just 531 names. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 44.ATELIER ANALYSIS1,972 names have between 10,000 and 100,000 living holders each in 2026. They cover 61.7 million Americans. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 45.ATELIER ANALYSIS8,634 names are shared by 1,000 to 10,000 living Americans each (2026). In total, these names belong to 24.9 million people. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 46.ATELIER ANALYSIS11,137 names are each shared by at least 1,000 living Americans in 2026, counting men’s and women’s names separately. Together, they cover 95.6% of our estimate. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 47.ATELIER ANALYSIS71,958 names in the SSA records have between 1 and 99 estimated living holders each in 2026. Together, however, they account for only 0.7% of Americans. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
Shared names and initials
- 48.ATELIER ANALYSISRiley is the most widely shared name with at least 30% of holders of each sex, with 237,000 living holders in 2026, 59% of them women. Casey follows, with 184,000. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 49.ATELIER ANALYSISJessie is the most evenly divided of the widely shared names, with 51% women among its 113,000 living holders in 2026. Peyton and Jackie, by contrast, lean more toward women, at 63% and 61%. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 50.ATELIER ANALYSISJ is the most common first initial among living Americans in 2026, shared by 34.1 million people, or 12.5%. A and M follow, at 9.7% and 9.0%. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
The most common first initials
What this means for monograms. Because so many Americans share a first initial, a monogram is distinguished by its drawing rather than its letters. Our bespoke monograms guide explains how proportion, line and ornament make even the most common initials singular.
The most common names by generation
Every living generation has its own leading names. The table shows the three most common women’s and men’s names in each one.
Top names of each living generation
Generation Born Living (est.) Most common women’s names Most common men’s names Silent Generation 1928–1945 10.5M Mary (311k), Barbara (193k), Patricia (164k) James (232k), Robert (226k), John (201k) Baby Boomers 1946–1964 52.9M Mary (859k), Linda (792k), Patricia (600k) James (1,027k), John (1,004k), Robert (1,000k) Gen X 1965–1980 47.7M Jennifer (704k), Lisa (467k), Michelle (380k) Michael (1,044k), David (714k), James (700k) Millennials 1981–1996 56.4M Jessica (664k), Ashley (572k), Jennifer (482k) Michael (900k), Christopher (743k), Matthew (644k) Gen Z 1997–2012 59.6M Emily (341k), Madison (278k), Emma (266k) Jacob (433k), Michael (402k), Joshua (351k) Gen Alpha 2013–2025 45.1M Olivia (227k), Emma (222k), Sophia (190k) Liam (256k), Noah (247k), William (175k)
Estimated living holders in mid-2026 (k = thousand; M = million), counting only Americans born in the United States and recorded in SSA name data. Source: Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data.
Generation by generation
- 51.ATELIER ANALYSISMary is the most common women’s name among living Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964), with 859,000 holders in 2026. Among Boomer men, James leads, with 1.03 million. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 52.ATELIER ANALYSISJennifer leads among living Gen X women (born 1965–1980), at 704,000 in 2026. Michael, by contrast, leads Gen X men, with 1.04 million. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 53.ATELIER ANALYSISJessica is the most common name among Millennial women (born 1981–1996), with 664,000 living holders in 2026. Michael also leads Millennial men, at 900,000. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 54.ATELIER ANALYSISEmily and Jacob are the most common names of Gen Z (born 1997–2012), with 341,000 and 433,000 holders in 2026. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 55.ATELIER ANALYSISLiam and Olivia lead Gen Alpha (born 2013–2025), with 256,000 and 227,000 holders in 2026. Noah, Emma and Sophia, meanwhile, complete the generation’s top five. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 56.ATELIER ANALYSISJames and Michael each rank among the ten most common men’s names in five of the six living generations in 2026. James is missing only from Gen Z’s top ten, while Michael is missing only from the Silent Generation’s. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 57.ATELIER ANALYSISMary and James also lead the Silent Generation (born 1928–1945), with an estimated 311,000 and 232,000 living holders in 2026. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
Checking the estimate against the 2020 Census
In April 2026, the Census Bureau published first-name data from the 2020 Census, its first since 1990. The comparison below shows where our estimate agrees with it and where it differs.
Our estimate and the Census
- 58.ATELIER ANALYSIS3,476,721 Americans were recorded as Michael in the 2020 Census, compared with our 2026 estimate of 3.56 million U.S.-born Michaels. Across the 100 most common Census names, moreover, 56 of our estimates fall within 10% of the 2020 count. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 59.ATELIER ANALYSISLiam is shared by about 63% more Americans in our 2026 estimate than the 218,131 counted in the 2020 Census. No name counted 100,000 times or more in the Census shows a larger gain in our estimate; Oliver and Levi follow. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 60.ATELIER ANALYSISMaria ranked eighth in the 2020 Census, with 1,652,966 Americans. Our estimate of U.S.-born Marias, however, is 463,000, because the SSA birth records do not cover Americans born abroad. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
- 61.ATELIER ANALYSISJose was counted 1,211,106 times in the 2020 Census, compared with an estimated 515,000 U.S.-born holders in 2026. Names common among immigrant families, in other words, are more widely shared than U.S. birth records alone show. — Gustavo Athayde analysis of SSA data
First names in the 2020 Census
- 62.5.2 million different first names were recorded in the 2020 Census. Of these, 99% were reported fewer than 100 times. — Census Bureau
- 63.8.0% of all Americans counted in 2020 had one of the 10 most common first names. Just 69 first names, in fact, covered a quarter of the population. — Census Bureau
- 64.1,768,343 Americans were counted as Mary in the 2020 Census, the most common women’s name. Maria, in turn, ranked second among women’s names, with 1,652,966. — Census Bureau
- 65.341.8 million people lived in the United States on July 1, 2025. That was 1.8 million more, or 0.5%, than a year earlier. — Census Bureau
- 66.25 first names were each reported more than one million times in the 2020 Census, covering 42,561,488 people, or 14.1%. Our 2026 estimate, by comparison, finds 26 names above one million. — Census Bureau
Last names in the 2020 Census
- 67.18,813,873 Americans had a first name reported fewer than 100 times in the 2020 Census, or about 6.2% of those with a recorded name. Those 5,163,105 rare names, in other words, belong to more people than live in most states. — Census Bureau
- 68.302 million Americans had a first name recorded in the 2020 Census, or 91.1% of the population counted. It is the Census Bureau’s first list of first names since 1990, and the first drawn from the full census rather than a survey sample. — Census Bureau
- 69.7.8 million different last names were recorded in the 2020 Census. Even so, it took 258 last names to cover a quarter of the population, compared with just 69 first names. — Census Bureau
- 70.Eight surnames, including Smith, Johnson, Williams and Brown, were among the most common in 1790 and remained in the top 15 in the 2020 Census. Over that time, the population grew more than 84-fold. — Census Bureau
Names of today’s newborns and of the last century
The names given to babies today will shape the list of the most shared names for decades to come. Meanwhile, the names of the past century still dominate it.
The names of 2025
- 71.Olivia and Liam were America’s most popular baby names in 2025. It was the seventh consecutive year that both names held the top spot. — SSA
- 72.Charlotte rose to second place among girls in 2025. In doing so, it ended Emma’s six-year run as runner-up. — SSA
- 73.Eliana entered the girls’ top 10 at No. 10 in 2025, replacing Ava. Among boys, meanwhile, Liam, Noah, Oliver and Theodore held their places. — SSA
- 74.1,108 places was the climb of Kasai in 2025, which led the SSA’s list of the year’s fastest-rising boys’ names. It entered the top 1,000 for the first time, at No. 639. — SSA
- 75.71.5% of babies born in 2025 received a name from the national top 1,000. In 2016, by comparison, the share was 73.3%. — SSA data
- 76.75.6% of boys born in 2025 received a top-1,000 name, compared with 67.3% of girls. Girls’ names, therefore, are spread across more choices from birth. — SSA data
- 77.3,606,400 babies were born in the United States in 2025, according to provisional data. That was 1% fewer than the 3,628,934 born in 2024. — CDC
- 78.3,593,747 Social Security card holders were born in the United States in 2025. Of these, 1,835,823 were boys and 1,757,924 were girls. — SSA
A century of names
- 79.James was given to 4,505,076 American boys from 1926 to 2025, more than any other name. Michael follows, with 4,359,450. — SSA
- 80.Mary is the most popular girls’ name of the past century, given to 2,845,637 babies from 1926 to 2025. Patricia ranks second, with 1,531,355. — SSA
- 81.Michael was the No. 1 boys’ name of the 1960s, with 833,092 babies, and it kept that place through the 1970s and 1980s. That long run explains its lead among living Americans today. — SSA
- 82.Jessica was the most popular girls’ name of the 1980s, given to 469,510 babies. In the same decade, 663,807 boys were named Michael. — SSA
- 83.1937 is the dividing line in the name records: many Americans born before then never applied for a Social Security card. As a result, older names are less completely recorded. — SSA
- 84.Five or more babies must share a name in a given year for it to appear in the SSA files. Different spellings, moreover, are counted as separate names in the files, which run from 1880 to 2025. — SSA
How Americans feel about their first names
Most Americans like their name, whether it is common or rare, and a growing share of parents look for names that fewer people share.
Survey findings
- 85.42% of Americans love their first name, and another 31% like it, according to a 2025 YouGov survey of 2,567 adults. Only 6%, by contrast, dislike or hate it. — YouGov
- 86.63% of Americans think their first name is very or somewhat common in the United States (2025). Meanwhile, 33% think it is not very or not at all common. — YouGov
- 87.39% of Americans generally prefer less common first names, while 24% prefer more common ones (2025). The rest, 37%, are not sure. — YouGov
- 88.About one in five Americans wish they could change their first name, according to a 2026 Talker Research poll of 2,000 adults. Among Gen Z, the share is 32%. — Talker Research
- 89.44% of Gen Z strongly identify with their first name, compared with 29% of Baby Boomers (2026). Millennials, at 40%, are close behind Gen Z. — Talker Research
- 90.18% of Americans say they make assumptions about someone based entirely on a first name (2026). A name, in other words, still makes a first impression. — Talker Research
- 91.63% of Americans go by the first name they were given at birth, while 23% use a nickname based on it (2022). Just 4%, meanwhile, go by their middle name. — YouGov
- 92.5% of Americans have changed their name, and another 7% have considered it, in a 2022 YouGov survey of 1,000 adults about given names. Most, in other words, keep the first name they were given. — YouGov
The search for distinctive names
- 93.Uncommon first names have become more frequent in every nation studied, including the United States, according to a 2025 review. The other countries are Germany, the U.K., France, Japan, China and Indonesia. — Ogihara, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
- 94.28% of boys born from 2011 to 2015 received one of the 50 most common names, down from 34% in 2004–2006. For girls, the share fell from 24% to 21%. — San Diego State University
Family names and namesakes
Many shared names are shared on purpose: they are passed from grandparents and parents to children as a mark of family continuity.
Named for a family member
- 95.27% of Americans were named after a family member, including 32% of men and 21% of women, in a 2022 YouGov survey of 1,000 adults. In total, 47% say they were named after someone or something. — YouGov
- 96.52% of men who were named after a relative carry their father’s name (2022). Among women named for a relative, by contrast, 36% were named after a grandmother. — YouGov
- 97.43% of Americans say their middle name honors a family member (2022). The middle name, in other words, is where many families keep their history. — YouGov
Family names today
- 98.25% of Americans would consider naming a child after themselves, including 34% of men (2022). Among women, the share is 17%. — YouGov
- 99.23% of mothers with a baby born in the past year named the child after a family member, the most common source of a name, in a 2024 BabyCenter poll of 453 mothers. By comparison, 15% used naming apps, books or lists. — BabyCenter, via FOX 9
- 100.79% of women in opposite-sex marriages say they took their husband’s last name, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 2,437 married women. Another 14% kept their own, and 5% hyphenated. — Pew Research Center
What this means for families. A name handed down is one of the oldest family traditions. Our custom coat of arms guide shows how families record that tradition in a symbol meant to be kept and passed on.
Methodology
Our estimate combines two Social Security Administration sources. The first is the national baby name file (names.zip), which lists every first name given to at least five babies of one sex in each year from 1880 to 2025. The second is the set of cohort life tables from the 2026 Trustees Report (intermediate assumptions), which give, for each birth year and sex, the share of people expected to survive to each age.
For each name, sex and birth year from 1900 to 2025, we multiplied the number of babies by the probability of surviving to the age that cohort reaches in 2026, and summed the results. Holders born before 1907 are treated as no longer living, because the tables end at age 119. Figures are estimates for mid-2026 and are rounded in the text.
The estimate covers Americans born in the United States and recorded by the SSA. It does not include Americans born abroad, names given to fewer than five babies in a year, or changes of first name after birth, and it does not adjust for emigration. Records for people born before 1937 are less complete. For these reasons, names common among immigrant families are more widely shared in the 2020 Census than in our estimate. All comparisons are descriptive.
About the author
Gustavo Athayde — Founder & Creative Director, GUSTAVO ATHAYDE
Gustavo Athayde is the founder and creative director of GUSTAVO ATHAYDE, a bespoke monogram atelier based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A graphic designer by training, he creates monograms, personal and family crests, heraldic emblems, signet designs and wax seals for individuals, families, couples and brands across the United States. Every commission is refined line by line into a symbol meant to be kept, used and passed down.
Follow the atelier on Instagram · Request a private consultation
Frequently asked questions
- How many people in the U.S. have my first name?
- For the 100 most common names, the table above gives our 2026 estimate of living holders born in the United States. For example, about 3.56 million Americans are named Michael, 1.66 million Mary and 1.39 million Jennifer.
- What is the most common first name in America?
- Michael, with an estimated 3.56 million living holders in 2026. It also ranked first in the 2020 Census, which counted 3,476,721 Michaels.
- What is the most common women’s name in the U.S.?
- Mary, shared by an estimated 1.66 million living women in 2026. However, half of them are 70 or older, so the name is far less common among younger women.
More about the estimate
- How is the number of living people with a name estimated?
- We multiply the number of babies given each name in each year by the SSA’s probability that a person born that year is still living, then add up the years. Holders born abroad are not included.
- Why are men’s names more concentrated than women’s?
- Parents have long repeated a small set of names for sons, often after fathers and grandfathers. In our estimate, 16.9% of living men share one of ten names, compared with 7.9% of women.
- How rare is my name?
- About 72,000 names recorded by the SSA have between 1 and 99 estimated living holders each. Names given to fewer than five babies in a year, by contrast, do not appear in the records at all.
Cite this page
Source: Gustavo Athayde, "How Many Americans Share Your First Name", https://gustavoathayde.com/share-your-first-name/Feel free to use these statistics and charts — we just ask for a link back to this page.
Sources
- 2026 OASDI Trustees Report — Table V.A5, Cohort Life Expectancy
- CDC/NCHS — Births: Provisional Data for 2025, Vital Statistics Rapid Release No. 43 (April 2026)
- FOX 9 — Parents reveal how they chose their baby's name (BabyCenter poll, 2024)
- Ogihara — Uncommon names are increasing globally: a review of empirical evidence on naming trends (Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025)
- Pew Research Center — About eight-in-ten women in opposite-sex marriages say they took their husband's last name (2023)
- San Diego State University — Could you spell that for me, please? (Twenge, Dawson and Campbell, 2016)
- Social Security Administration — Background Information (baby names)
- Social Security Administration — Beyond the Top 1000 Names (national data, names.zip, 1880–2025)
- Social Security Administration — Number of Social Security Card Holders Born in the U.S. by Year of Birth and Sex
- Social Security Administration — Olivia and Liam Top America's Most Popular Baby Names for the Seventh Straight Year (May 8, 2026)
- Social Security Administration — Popular Names of the 1960s
- Social Security Administration — Popular Names of the 1980s
- Social Security Administration — Top Names Over the Last 100 Years (1926–2025)
Sources, continued
- Social Security Administration, Office of the Chief Actuary — Cohort Life Tables, 2026 Trustees Report
- Talker Research — Poll: 1 in 5 Americans judge people by their first name (June 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau — America Counts: 2020 Census names data (April 14, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Centenarian population press release (September 2025)
- U.S. Census Bureau — First Name Data From the 2020 Census (C2020BR-13, April 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Frequently Occurring First Names in the 2020 Census by Sex: Top 1,000 First Names
- U.S. Census Bureau — Last Name Data From the 2020 Census (C2020BR-14, April 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Vintage 2025 population estimates press release (January 2026)
- YouGov — Daily Results, June 2, 2025: How common is your first name?
- YouGov — Daily Results, June 2, 2025: How do you feel about your first name?
- YouGov — Daily Results, June 2, 2025: preference for common or less common first names
- YouGov — Where Americans' first and middle names come from (2022)