Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2017

Atom

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,384 Trend ↓ Falling 34%
Rank 2025
#3,384
among boys · ↓216 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
34
named Atom · -11% vs 2024
How common
1 in 50,238
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2017
68 babies
All-time total
1,057
#4,955 all-time among boys
First recorded
1970
in Social Security records

Atom popularity over time

1,057 babies have been named Atom since 1970, 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
0.010.020.030.0418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2017Boys

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 – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s 29 3 – #4,266
1980s 42 4 +45% #3,985
1990s 57 6 +36% #4,630
2000s 165 17 +189% #3,404
2010s 515 52 +212% #2,051
2020s (to 2025) 249 42 -19% #2,441

Where Atom 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 32 0.02 outside top 500
2027 30 0.02 outside top 500
2028 29 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 27 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Atom

Atom is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,384 in 2025 with 34 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1970, 1,057 American babies have been named Atom. Its peak came in 2017, when 68 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Atom stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Atom?

The median living Atom is about 10 years old; half are between 6 and 16. An estimated 1,000 people named Atom are alive in the United States today.

median 10 020406080100

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

Atom year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 34 #3,384
2024 38 #3,168
2023 34 #3,425
2022 57 #2,441
2021 36 #3,248
2020 50 #2,549
2019 56 #2,397
2018 61 #2,236
2017 68 #2,051
2016 58 #2,279
2015 49 #2,531
2014 49 #2,518
2013 58 #2,229
2012 52 #2,418
2011 34 #3,240
2010 30 #3,538
2009 32 #3,404
2008 28 #3,746
2007 18 #5,011
2006 19 #4,696
2005 11 #6,682
2004 15 #5,268
2003 9 #7,290
2002 9 #7,094
2001 13 #5,409
2000 11 #5,954
1995 6 #7,875
1990 – –
1985 10 #4,071
1980 – –
1975 5 #5,533
1970 6 #4,266
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Atom

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

  1. 1 Atom Egoyan Atom Egoyan Canadian filmmaker (born 1960) Contemporary
  2. 2 Atom Willard Atom Willard American drummer (born 1973) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Atom?

The median living Atom is about 10 years old. Half of all living Atoms are between 6 and 16 years old.

How many people named Atom are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Atom are alive in the United States, based on 1,057 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Atom in 2025?

Atom ranked #3,384 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 34 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Atom?

1,057 babies have been named Atom in the United States since 1970, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Atom most popular?

Atom peaked in 2017, when 68 newborns received the name.

Is Atom a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Atom rising or falling?

Atom is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Atom become more popular?

Atom is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 27 boys named Atom 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 Atom?

Well-known people named Atom include Atom Egoyan (film director), Atom Willard (musician).

Names like Atom

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

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