Babe: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

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	–	10	10	1	–	–
1890s	20	21	41	4	+310%	#1,349
1900s	52	24	76	8	+85%	#1,311
1910s	115	66	181	18	+138%	#1,379
1920s	133	109	242	24	+34%	#2,029
1930s	58	75	133	13	-45%	#2,592
1940s	5	14	19	2	-86%	#5,360
1950s	–	11	11	1	-42%	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	10	10	1	–	–
1980s	–	5	5	1	-50%	–
1990s	–	–	–	–	–	–
2000s	–	–	–	–	–	–
2010s	–	–	–	–	–	–
2020s (to 2025)	–	–	–	–	–	–

Decade

Girls

Boys

Total

Per year

Change

Best rank

1880s

–

1890s

+310%

#1,349

1900s

+85%

#1,311

1910s

115

181

+138%

#1,379

1920s

133

109

242

+34%

#2,029

1930s

133

-45%

#2,592

1940s

-86%

#5,360

1950s

–

-42%

–

1960s

–

1970s

–

1980s

–

-50%

–

1990s

–

2000s

–

2010s

–

2020s (to 2025)

–

The story of Babe

Babe is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1880, 728 American babies have been named Babe, about 53% girls and 47% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1927, when 33 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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

Babe 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	–	–	–	–
2024	–	–	–	–
2023	–	–	–	–
2022	–	–	–	–
2021	–	–	–	–
2020	–	–	–	–
2019	–	–	–	–
2018	–	–	–	–
2017	–	–	–	–
2016	–	–	–	–
2015	–	–	–	–
2014	–	–	–	–
2013	–	–	–	–
2012	–	–	–	–
2011	–	–	–	–
2010	–	–	–	–
2009	–	–	–	–
2008	–	–	–	–
2007	–	–	–	–
2006	–	–	–	–
2005	–	–	–	–
2004	–	–	–	–
2003	–	–	–	–
2002	–	–	–	–
2001	–	–	–	–
2000	–	–	–	–
1995	–	–	–	–
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	5	#6,337
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	6	#3,791	9	#2,542
1930	10	#2,862	14	#2,087
1925	11	#2,958	10	#2,765
1920	15	#2,365	11	#2,612
1915	19	#1,745	8	#2,846
1910	9	#1,646	–	–
1905	9	#1,311	7	#1,009
1900	9	#1,327	6	#1,179
1895	–	–	5	#1,091
1890	5	#1,350	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	5	#921

Famous people named Babe

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

Babe Ruth American baseball player (1895–1948) 19th century

Babe Didrikson Zaharias American golfer and athlete (1911–1956) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

What does the name Babe mean?

Use of the common noun babe as a (nick)name.

How popular is the name Babe in 2025?

Babe did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Babe?

728 babies have been named Babe in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Babe most popular?

Babe peaked in 1927, when 33 newborns received the name.

Is Babe a boy or girl name?

Babe is used for both: about 53% of babies named Babe have been girls and 47% boys.

Is the name Babe rising or falling?

Babe has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Babe?

Well-known people named Babe include Babe Ruth (baseball player), Babe Didrikson Zaharias (golfer).

Babe

Babe popularity over time

The story of Babe

Babe year by year

Famous people named Babe

Frequently asked questions

Names like Babe