Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2013

Blythe

Meaning merry Gender Unisex · 95% girls Rank 2025 #2,052 Trend → Stable

English surname, from Old English blīþe (“merry”).

Rank 2025
#2,052
among girls · ↓179 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
102
named Blythe · -10% vs 2024
How common
1 in 17,470
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2013
181 babies
All-time total
5,441
#2,513 all-time among girls
First recorded
1897
in Social Security records

Blythe popularity over time

5,441 babies have been named Blythe since 1897, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 6 – 6 1 – #1,404
1900s 6 – 6 1 0% #1,683
1910s 41 15 56 6 +833% #2,558
1920s 58 10 68 7 +21% #2,985
1930s 38 – 38 4 -44% #2,595
1940s 97 12 109 11 +187% #2,278
1950s 218 10 228 23 +109% #1,896
1960s 238 5 243 24 +7% #1,994
1970s 583 5 588 59 +142% #1,076
1980s 687 – 687 69 +17% #1,333
1990s 512 47 559 56 -19% #1,908
2000s 720 64 784 78 +40% #2,232
2010s 1,378 65 1,443 144 +84% #1,338
2020s (to 2025) 586 40 626 104 -28% #1,855

Where Blythe is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls Implied rank
2026 91 0.06 outside top 500
2027 91 0.06 outside top 500
2028 90 0.06 outside top 500
2029 90 0.06 outside top 500
2030 90 0.06 outside top 500

Where Blythe is most popular

Girls named Blythe per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.062 per 1,000. Strongest in South Carolina, Iowa, and North Carolina.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Blythe 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 Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
South Carolina 18 0.200 +226%
Iowa 11 0.188 +206%
North Carolina 34 0.149 +143%
Virginia 21 0.123 +100%
Georgia 24 0.106 +72%
Louisiana 8 0.091 +49%
Missouri 11 0.091 +48%
Kansas 5 0.087 +41%
Texas 41 0.051 -17%
Wisconsin 5 0.049 -21%
Washington 7 0.048 -21%
California 36 0.043 -30%
Arizona 6 0.043 -30%
Ohio 6 0.025 -59%
Pennsylvania 5 0.021 -66%
New York 5 0.013 -79%
Florida 5 0.012 -81%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
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 Blythe

Blythe is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,052 in 2025 with 92 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1897, 5,441 American babies have been named Blythe, about 95% girls and 5% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2013, when 181 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 Blythe stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Blythe?

The median living Blythe is about 22 years old; half are between 10 and 42. An estimated 5,100 people named Blythe are alive in the United States today.

median 22 020406080100

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

Blythe 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 #2,052 10 #7,747
2024 107 #1,873 6 #11,134
2023 108 #1,855 – –
2022 95 #2,038 6 #11,060
2021 97 #1,994 8 #8,944
2020 87 #2,103 10 #7,591
2019 141 #1,531 6 #10,974
2018 99 #1,980 6 #10,960
2017 117 #1,781 7 #9,827
2016 168 #1,387 6 #10,926
2015 153 #1,495 6 #10,845
2014 169 #1,371 9 #8,228
2013 174 #1,338 7 #9,769
2012 165 #1,397 8 #8,967
2011 106 #1,888 5 #12,524
2010 86 #2,239 5 #12,473
2009 87 #2,245 9 #8,379
2008 78 #2,445 – –
2007 64 #2,827 6 #11,089
2006 65 #2,730 8 #8,821
2005 79 #2,281 8 #8,381
2004 75 #2,312 7 #9,049
2003 72 #2,325 6 #9,720
2002 74 #2,232 9 #7,111
2001 66 #2,384 – –
2000 60 #2,515 11 #5,960
1995 46 #2,654 7 #7,065
1990 73 #1,908 5 #8,246
1985 84 #1,474 – –
1980 48 #2,131 – –
1975 66 #1,528 – –
1970 50 #1,784 – –
1965 26 #2,346 – –
1960 22 #2,578 – –
1955 16 #2,849 – –
1950 22 #2,058 – –
1945 8 #3,421 5 #3,383
1940 8 #3,244 – –
1935 11 #2,595 – –
1930 7 #3,699 – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 11 #2,558 5 #3,885
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Blythe

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

  1. 1 Blythe Danner Blythe Danner American actress (born 1943) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Blythe?

The median living Blythe is about 22 years old. Half of all living Blythes are between 10 and 42 years old.

How many people named Blythe are alive today?

An estimated 5,100 people named Blythe are alive in the United States, based on 5,441 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Blythe mean?

English surname, from Old English blīþe (“merry”).

How popular is the name Blythe in 2025?

Blythe ranked #2,052 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 92 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Blythe?

5,441 babies have been named Blythe in the United States since 1897, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Blythe most popular?

Blythe peaked in 2013, when 181 newborns received the name.

Is Blythe a boy or girl name?

Blythe is used for both: about 95% of babies named Blythe have been girls and 5% boys.

Is the name Blythe rising or falling?

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

Will Blythe become more popular?

Blythe looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 90 girls named Blythe in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Blythe?

Well-known people named Blythe include Blythe Danner (actor).

Names like Blythe

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

Compare Blythe with similar names → More names starting with B →