boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Abner

Meaning father of light Gender Boy Rank 2025 #874 Trend ↑ Rising 35%

From Hebrew אבנר (Abner, “father of light”).

Rank 2025
#874
among boys · ↓36 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
274
named Abner · -6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 6,234
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
293 babies
All-time total
9,454
#1,248 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Abner popularity over time

9,454 babies have been named Abner since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1881Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 264 26 – #289
1890s 207 21 -22% #346
1900s 215 22 +4% #371
1910s 683 68 +218% #480
1920s 691 69 +1% #682
1930s 419 42 -39% #897
1940s 328 33 -22% #1,051
1950s 266 27 -19% #1,295
1960s 305 31 +15% #1,237
1970s 276 28 -10% #1,596
1980s 454 45 +64% #1,307
1990s 727 73 +60% #1,256
2000s 1,343 134 +85% #1,073
2010s 1,863 186 +39% #1,005
2020s (to 2025) 1,413 236 +26% #838

Where Abner is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 288 0.17 outside top 500
2027 301 0.18 outside top 500
2028 312 0.18 outside top 500
2029 322 0.19 outside top 500
2030 331 0.19 outside top 500

Where Abner is most popular

Boys named Abner per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.138 per 1,000. Strongest in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Alabama.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Abner born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Pennsylvania 82 0.309 +123%
Maryland 36 0.302 +118%
Alabama 24 0.220 +59%
Georgia 54 0.213 +54%
Virginia 36 0.190 +37%
North Carolina 45 0.176 +27%
Tennessee 31 0.172 +24%
Florida 81 0.171 +24%
Texas 149 0.169 +22%
Massachusetts 21 0.153 +10%
California 138 0.151 +9%
South Carolina 14 0.135 ≈ national
New York 56 0.129 -6%
Arizona 21 0.128 -7%
Indiana 20 0.125 -10%
Louisiana 12 0.117 -15%
Colorado 15 0.116 -16%
New Jersey 23 0.114 -17%
Wisconsin 11 0.093 -33%
Nevada 5 0.088 -37%
Washington 13 0.079 -43%
Oregon 5 0.066 -52%
Ohio 17 0.064 -54%
Utah 6 0.063 -55%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -59%
Kentucky 5 0.050 -64%
Missouri 6 0.043 -69%
Minnesota 5 0.041 -71%
Illinois 7 0.027 -80%
Michigan 5 0.024 -82%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Abner

Abner is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #874 in 2025 with 274 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 9,454 American babies have been named Abner. Its peak came in 2024, when 293 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Abner stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Abner?

The median living Abner is about 16 years old; half are between 7 and 31. An estimated 6,700 people named Abner are alive in the United States today.

median 16 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Abner year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 274 #874
2024 293 #838
2023 221 #997
2022 191 #1,113
2021 215 #1,023
2020 219 #976
2019 183 #1,091
2018 203 #1,016
2017 195 #1,029
2016 201 #1,011
2015 199 #1,019
2014 202 #1,012
2013 195 #1,005
2012 157 #1,161
2011 166 #1,108
2010 162 #1,143
2009 150 #1,202
2008 149 #1,188
2007 173 #1,073
2006 156 #1,116
2005 132 #1,201
2004 133 #1,172
2003 116 #1,248
2002 115 #1,204
2001 106 #1,254
2000 113 #1,196
1995 86 #1,256
1990 66 #1,370
1985 31 #1,866
1980 41 #1,496
1975 25 #1,884
1970 26 #1,699
1965 35 #1,294
1960 30 #1,463
1955 27 #1,483
1950 29 #1,340
1945 31 #1,180
1940 34 #1,135
1935 37 #1,057
1930 48 #976
1925 67 #809
1920 71 #792
1915 94 #587
1910 33 #480
1905 27 #410
1900 21 #518
1895 16 #501
1890 15 #489
1885 32 #298
1880 27 #325

Famous people named Abner

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday Union Army general (1819–1893) 19th century
  2. 2 Abner Felipe Brazilian footballer (born 1996) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Abner, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Abner?

The median living Abner is about 16 years old. Half of all living Abners are between 7 and 31 years old.

How many people named Abner are alive today?

An estimated 6,700 people named Abner are alive in the United States, based on 9,454 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Abner mean?

From Hebrew אבנר (Abner, “father of light”).

How popular is the name Abner in 2025?

Abner ranked #874 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 274 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Abner?

9,454 babies have been named Abner in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Abner most popular?

Abner peaked in 2024, when 293 newborns received the name.

Is Abner a boy or girl name?

Abner is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Abner rising or falling?

Abner is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Abner become more popular?

Abner is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 331 boys named Abner in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Abner?

Well-known people named Abner include Abner Doubleday (military personnel), Abner Felipe (soccer player).

Names like Abner

Names that sound and feel close to Abner: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Abner with similar names → More names starting with A →