Ames: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,754

among boys · ↑259 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Ames · +21% vs 2024

How common

1 in 18,566

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2023

93 babies

All-time total

1,865

#3,464 all-time among boys

First recorded

1913

in Social Security records

Ames popularity over time

1,865 babies have been named Ames since 1913, 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

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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	54	54	5	–	#2,282
1920s	–	72	72	7	+33%	#2,602
1930s	–	80	80	8	+11%	#2,057
1940s	–	62	62	6	-22%	#2,186
1950s	–	102	102	10	+65%	#1,897
1960s	–	98	98	10	-4%	#2,131
1970s	–	110	110	11	+12%	#2,511
1980s	–	173	173	17	+57%	#2,273
1990s	–	11	11	1	-94%	#7,214
2000s	–	54	54	5	+391%	#5,778
2010s	5	526	531	53	+883%	#1,763
2020s (to 2025)	5	513	518	86	+63%	#1,695

Where Ames 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	95	0.06	outside top 500
2027	97	0.06	outside top 500
2028	99	0.06	outside top 500
2029	101	0.06	outside top 500
2030	102	0.06	outside top 500

Where Ames is most popular

Boys named Ames per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.049 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.

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 Ames 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
Minnesota	33	0.269	+452%
Iowa	6	0.087	+79%
Illinois	15	0.059	+20%
Wisconsin	5	0.042	-13%
California	38	0.042	-15%
Colorado	5	0.039	-21%
Michigan	6	0.029	-40%
Texas	22	0.025	-49%
New York	5	0.012	-76%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Florida	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
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 Ames

Ames is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,754 in 2025 with 92 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1913, 1,865 American babies have been named Ames. Its peak came in 2023, when 93 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 Ames stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ames?

The median living Ames is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 40. An estimated 1,600 people named Ames are alive in the United States today.

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

Ames 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	–	–	92	#1,754
2024	–	–	76	#2,013
2023	–	–	93	#1,755
2022	5	#15,466	71	#2,098
2021	–	–	89	#1,785
2020	–	–	92	#1,695
2019	–	–	69	#2,081
2018	–	–	70	#2,048
2017	–	–	69	#2,033
2016	5	#16,424	87	#1,763
2015	–	–	51	#2,459
2014	–	–	42	#2,806
2013	–	–	38	#2,956
2012	–	–	56	#2,295
2011	–	–	31	#3,437
2010	–	–	13	#6,367
2009	–	–	9	#8,336
2008	–	–	15	#5,778
2007	–	–	6	#10,999
2006	–	–	6	#10,748
2005	–	–	–	–
2004	–	–	7	#8,968
2003	–	–	–	–
2002	–	–	–	–
2001	–	–	–	–
2000	–	–	11	#5,938
1995	–	–	–	–
1990	–	–	6	#7,214
1985	–	–	12	#3,611
1980	–	–	16	#2,834
1975	–	–	14	#2,755
1970	–	–	14	#2,511
1965	–	–	8	#2,990
1960	–	–	8	#3,086
1955	–	–	9	#2,772
1950	–	–	6	#3,335
1945	–	–	5	#3,347
1940	–	–	11	#2,186
1935	–	–	9	#2,537
1930	–	–	12	#2,298
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	8	#3,220
1915	–	–	9	#2,633
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ames?

The median living Ames is about 9 years old. Half of all living Amess are between 4 and 40 years old.

How many people named Ames are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named Ames are alive in the United States, based on 1,865 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ames mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Amy.

How popular is the name Ames in 2025?

Ames ranked #1,754 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 92 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ames?

1,865 babies have been named Ames in the United States since 1913, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ames most popular?

Ames peaked in 2023, when 93 newborns received the name.

Is Ames a boy or girl name?

Ames is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ames rising or falling?

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

Will Ames become more popular?

Ames is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 102 boys named Ames in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Ames

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

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