boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Ambrose

Meaning immortal, divine Gender Boy Rank 2025 #735 Trend ↑ Rising 70%

From Latin saints' name Ambrosius, from Ancient Greek ἀμβρόσιος (ambrósios, “immortal, divine”).

Rank 2025
#735
among boys · ↑4 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
363
named Ambrose · +2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 4,771
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
411 babies
All-time total
10,911
#1,150 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ambrose popularity over time

10,911 babies have been named Ambrose 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 344 344 34 – #233
1890s – 369 369 37 +7% #239
1900s – 324 324 32 -12% #294
1910s – 1,401 1,401 140 +332% #370
1920s – 1,556 1,556 156 +11% #406
1930s – 782 782 78 -50% #581
1940s – 606 606 61 -23% #699
1950s – 494 494 49 -18% #933
1960s – 400 400 40 -19% #1,013
1970s – 323 323 32 -19% #1,304
1980s – 360 360 36 +11% #1,594
1990s – 337 337 34 -6% #1,768
2000s – 487 487 49 +45% #2,062
2010s 6 1,010 1,016 102 +109% #961
2020s (to 2025) 37 2,075 2,112 352 +246% #672

Where Ambrose 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 400 0.23 outside top 500
2027 440 0.26 outside top 500
2028 477 0.28 outside top 500
2029 510 0.30 outside top 500
2030 541 0.32 outside top 500

Where Ambrose is most popular

Boys named Ambrose per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.208 per 1,000. Strongest in Oregon, Minnesota, and Colorado.

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 Ambrose 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
Oregon 40 0.527 +154%
Minnesota 60 0.489 +135%
Colorado 55 0.426 +105%
Kansas 27 0.394 +90%
New Mexico 12 0.364 +75%
Indiana 58 0.362 +74%
Michigan 74 0.361 +74%
Wisconsin 42 0.355 +71%
West Virginia 11 0.337 +62%
Arizona 55 0.336 +62%
Iowa 22 0.319 +54%
Washington 49 0.300 +44%
Virginia 56 0.295 +42%
Louisiana 30 0.293 +41%
North Dakota 5 0.293 +41%
Montana 5 0.284 +36%
Illinois 69 0.270 +30%
Ohio 71 0.268 +29%
Tennessee 48 0.266 +28%
Nebraska 11 0.253 +22%
Pennsylvania 64 0.241 +16%
Missouri 33 0.238 +15%
Massachusetts 31 0.225 +9%
New Hampshire 5 0.225 +8%
North Carolina 53 0.208 ≈ national
Georgia 48 0.189 -9%
Oklahoma 15 0.170 -18%
California 152 0.166 -20%
Texas 140 0.159 -24%
Florida 71 0.150 -28%
Connecticut 10 0.148 -29%
South Carolina 14 0.135 -35%
Nevada 7 0.123 -41%
Idaho 5 0.122 -41%
New York 52 0.120 -42%
Kentucky 12 0.120 -42%
New Jersey 24 0.119 -43%
Alabama 13 0.119 -43%
Arkansas 6 0.095 -54%
Utah 6 0.063 -70%
Maryland 6 0.050 -76%
Alaska – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Ambrose

Ambrose is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #735 in 2025 with 358 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 10,911 American babies have been named Ambrose. Its peak came in 2021, when 411 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 Ambrose stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ambrose?

The median living Ambrose is about 12 years old; half are between 4 and 46. An estimated 5,700 people named Ambrose are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

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

Ambrose year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #15,084 358 #735
2024 7 #12,246 349 #739
2023 11 #9,026 320 #788
2022 5 #15,459 365 #721
2021 9 #10,347 402 #672
2020 – – 281 #818
2019 6 #13,937 222 #961
2018 – – 118 #1,465
2017 – – 97 #1,630
2016 – – 97 #1,641
2015 – – 101 #1,588
2014 – – 89 #1,701
2013 – – 95 #1,613
2012 – – 75 #1,909
2011 – – 56 #2,284
2010 – – 60 #2,188
2009 – – 53 #2,402
2008 – – 67 #2,062
2007 – – 59 #2,236
2006 – – 59 #2,178
2005 – – 50 #2,328
2004 – – 49 #2,316
2003 – – 42 #2,474
2002 – – 42 #2,404
2001 – – 25 #3,416
2000 – – 41 #2,331
1995 – – 30 #2,506
1990 – – 41 #1,870
1985 – – 40 #1,594
1980 – – 36 #1,621
1975 – – 44 #1,304
1970 – – 28 #1,616
1965 – – 43 #1,144
1960 – – 51 #1,083
1955 – – 49 #1,075
1950 – – 37 #1,182
1945 – – 46 #954
1940 – – 64 #770
1935 – – 80 #663
1930 – – 104 #591
1925 – – 165 #467
1920 – – 209 #406
1915 – – 187 #394
1910 – – 48 #370
1905 – – 24 #452
1900 – – 47 #305
1895 – – 38 #289
1890 – – 37 #283
1885 – – 32 #299
1880 – – 32 #291

Famous people named Ambrose

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

  1. 1 Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Bierce American writer (1842 – c. 1914) 19th century
  2. 2 Ambrose Ambrose Christian bishop and theologian (c. 339 – 397) 340–397 · Antiquity
  3. 3 Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Burnside American general and politician (1824–1881) 19th century
  4. 4 Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini Prime Minister of Eswatini from 2018 to 2020 b. 1968 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Ambrose Traversari Ambrose Traversari Italian monk and theologian (1386–1439) Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ambrose?

The median living Ambrose is about 12 years old. Half of all living Ambroses are between 4 and 46 years old.

How many people named Ambrose are alive today?

An estimated 5,700 people named Ambrose are alive in the United States, based on 10,911 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ambrose mean?

From Latin saints' name Ambrosius, from Ancient Greek ἀμβρόσιος (ambrósios, “immortal, divine”).

How popular is the name Ambrose in 2025?

Ambrose ranked #735 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 358 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ambrose?

10,911 babies have been named Ambrose in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ambrose most popular?

Ambrose peaked in 2021, when 411 newborns received the name.

Is Ambrose a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Ambrose rising or falling?

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

Will Ambrose become more popular?

Ambrose is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 541 boys named Ambrose 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 Ambrose?

Well-known people named Ambrose include Ambrose Bierce (writer), Ambrose (religious figure), Ambrose Burnside (politician).

Names like Ambrose

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

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