boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Archibald

Meaning pure, holy, genuine, precious Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,145 Trend ↑ Rising 120%

From Anglo-Norman Arcebald, Arcenbald or Ercenbald, from Old French Archaunbault, from Proto-West Germanic *Erknabalþ, from *erkn (“pure, holy, genuine, precious”) +‎…

Rank 2025
#1,145
among boys · ↑31 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
184
named Archibald · +5% vs 2024
How common
1 in 9,283
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
184 babies
All-time total
3,985
#2,095 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Archibald popularity over time

3,985 babies have been named Archibald 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 1890Boys

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 260 26 – #310
1890s 238 24 -8% #279
1900s 163 16 -32% #412
1910s 486 49 +198% #556
1920s 526 53 +8% #815
1930s 216 22 -59% #1,254
1940s 195 20 -10% #1,300
1950s 180 18 -8% #1,456
1960s 107 11 -41% #2,033
1970s 81 8 -24% #3,157
1980s 84 8 +4% #2,971
1990s 85 9 +1% #4,423
2000s 78 8 -8% #5,820
2010s 433 43 +455% #2,045
2020s (to 2025) 853 142 +228% #1,145

Where Archibald 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 211 0.12 outside top 500
2027 238 0.14 outside top 500
2028 263 0.15 outside top 500
2029 286 0.17 outside top 500
2030 307 0.18 outside top 500

Where Archibald is most popular

Boys named Archibald per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.088 per 1,000. Strongest in Wisconsin, Utah, 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 Archibald 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
Wisconsin 24 0.203 +131%
Utah 17 0.178 +103%
Illinois 42 0.164 +87%
Ohio 40 0.151 +72%
Michigan 28 0.137 +56%
Pennsylvania 36 0.136 +55%
Minnesota 15 0.122 +40%
Missouri 15 0.108 +23%
Virginia 20 0.105 +20%
New York 43 0.099 +13%
Indiana 15 0.094 +7%
Florida 35 0.074 -16%
California 63 0.069 -21%
Texas 53 0.060 -31%
Tennessee 10 0.055 -37%
North Carolina 11 0.043 -51%
Washington 7 0.043 -51%
Massachusetts 5 0.036 -59%
Arizona 5 0.031 -65%
Georgia 7 0.028 -68%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
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 Archibald

Archibald is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,145 in 2025 with 184 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 3,985 American babies have been named Archibald. Its peak came in 2025, when 184 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 Archibald stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Archibald?

The median living Archibald is about 7 years old; half are between 2 and 39. An estimated 1,900 people named Archibald are alive in the United States today.

median 7 020406080100

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

Archibald year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 184 #1,145
2024 176 #1,176
2023 149 #1,289
2022 148 #1,289
2021 100 #1,658
2020 96 #1,657
2019 71 #2,045
2018 70 #2,050
2017 49 #2,570
2016 51 #2,479
2015 50 #2,490
2014 46 #2,626
2013 25 #3,974
2012 34 #3,237
2011 14 #5,968
2010 23 #4,247
2009 15 #5,820
2008 10 #7,734
2007 7 #9,852
2006 8 #8,784
2005 10 #7,144
2004 9 #7,570
2003 6 #9,655
2002 8 #7,694
2001 5 #10,668
2000 – –
1995 9 #5,950
1990 12 #4,423
1985 6 #5,824
1980 15 #2,971
1975 10 #3,442
1970 8 #3,536
1965 14 #2,183
1960 9 #2,879
1955 11 #2,443
1950 17 #1,816
1945 20 #1,499
1940 23 #1,400
1935 23 #1,423
1930 32 #1,259
1925 63 #836
1920 60 #887
1915 57 #805
1910 17 #729
1905 15 #617
1900 14 #682
1895 26 #369
1890 38 #279
1885 25 #345
1880 27 #326

Famous people named Archibald

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

  1. 1 Archibald Gracie IV Archibald Gracie IV American Titanic survivor (1858–1912) 19th century
  2. 2 Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1894 to 1895 1847–1929 · 19th century
  3. 3 Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell British field marshal (1883–1950) 19th century
  4. 4 Archibald MacLeish Archibald MacLeish American poet and 9th Librarian of Congress (1892–1982) 19th century
  5. 5 Archibald Leitch Archibald Leitch Scottish architect (1865–1939) 19th century
  6. 6 Archibald Hill Archibald Hill British physiologist (1886–1977) 19th century
  7. 7 Archibald Menzies Archibald Menzies Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist (1754–1842) 18th century
  8. 8 Archibald Sayce Archibald Sayce British Assyriologist and linguist (born 1845) 19th century
  9. 9 Archibald Geikie Archibald Geikie Scottish geologist and writer 1835–1924 · 19th century
  10. 10 Archibald Scott Couper Archibald Scott Couper Scottish chemist 1831–1892 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Archibald?

The median living Archibald is about 7 years old. Half of all living Archibalds are between 2 and 39 years old.

How many people named Archibald are alive today?

An estimated 1,900 people named Archibald are alive in the United States, based on 3,985 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Archibald mean?

From Anglo-Norman Arcebald, Arcenbald or Ercenbald, from Old French Archaunbault, from Proto-West Germanic *Erknabalþ, from *erkn (“pure, holy, genuine, precious”) +‎ *balþ (“strong, bold”).

How popular is the name Archibald in 2025?

Archibald ranked #1,145 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 184 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Archibald?

3,985 babies have been named Archibald in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Archibald most popular?

Archibald peaked in 2025, when 184 newborns received the name.

Is Archibald a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Archibald rising or falling?

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

Will Archibald become more popular?

Archibald is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 307 boys named Archibald 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 Archibald?

Well-known people named Archibald include Archibald Gracie IV (writer), Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (politician), Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (military personnel).

Names like Archibald

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

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