Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1970

Boris

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,189 Trend ↓ Falling 28%
Rank 2025
#3,189
among boys · ↑152 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
37
named Boris · +6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 46,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1970
82 babies
All-time total
4,621
#1,885 all-time among boys
First recorded
1911
in Social Security records

Boris popularity over time

4,621 babies have been named Boris since 1911, 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
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1923Boys

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 213 21 – #1,013
1920s 373 37 +75% #980
1930s 237 24 -36% #1,149
1940s 111 11 -53% #1,916
1950s 287 29 +159% #1,142
1960s 597 60 +108% #874
1970s 481 48 -19% #891
1980s 401 40 -17% #1,368
1990s 603 60 +50% #1,336
2000s 581 58 -4% #1,877
2010s 507 51 -13% #2,092
2020s (to 2025) 230 38 -24% #2,552

Where Boris 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 35 0.02 outside top 500
2027 34 0.02 outside top 500
2028 33 0.02 outside top 500
2029 32 0.02 outside top 500
2030 31 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Boris

Boris is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,189 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1911, 4,621 American babies have been named Boris. Its peak came in 1970, when 82 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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

How old are people named Boris?

The median living Boris is about 33 years old; half are between 18 and 55. An estimated 3,500 people named Boris are alive in the United States today.

median 33 020406080100

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

Boris year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 37 #3,189
2024 35 #3,341
2023 32 #3,577
2022 34 #3,421
2021 42 #2,922
2020 50 #2,552
2019 48 #2,662
2018 52 #2,478
2017 51 #2,495
2016 47 #2,629
2015 49 #2,532
2014 54 #2,375
2013 64 #2,092
2012 47 #2,598
2011 48 #2,549
2010 47 #2,584
2009 46 #2,667
2008 73 #1,952
2007 49 #2,536
2006 65 #2,038
2005 61 #2,036
2004 65 #1,883
2003 52 #2,129
2002 59 #1,894
2001 55 #1,960
2000 56 #1,877
1995 72 #1,393
1990 54 #1,547
1985 40 #1,597
1980 31 #1,814
1975 40 #1,382
1970 82 #891
1965 54 #1,000
1960 37 #1,298
1955 32 #1,339
1950 9 #2,601
1945 9 #2,414
1940 11 #2,196
1935 21 #1,497
1930 33 #1,237
1925 41 #1,091
1920 29 #1,351
1915 27 #1,270
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Boris

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

  1. 1 Boris Johnson Boris Johnson Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022 b. 1964 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Boris Yeltsin Boris Yeltsin President of Russia from 1991 to 1999 1931–2007 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Boris Becker Boris Becker German tennis player, coach, and commentator (born 1967) Contemporary
  4. 4 Boris Karloff Boris Karloff English actor (1887–1969) 19th century
  5. 5 Boris Shcherbina Boris Shcherbina Soviet Ukrainian politician (1919–1990) Contemporary
  6. 6 Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky Russian businessman (1946–2013) Contemporary
  7. 7 Boris Pasternak Boris Pasternak Russian and Soviet writer (1890–1960) 19th century
  8. 8 Boris III of Bulgaria Boris III of Bulgaria Tsar of Bulgaria from 1918 to 1943 1894–1943 · 19th century
  9. 9 Boris Nemtsov Boris Nemtsov Russian scientist, statesman, and politician (1959–2015) Contemporary
  10. 10 Boris Spassky Boris Spassky Russian chess grandmaster (1937–2025) Contemporary
  11. 11 Boris Godunov Boris Godunov Tsar of Russia from 1598 to 1605 1552–1605 · 16th century
  12. 12 Boris Savinkov Boris Savinkov Russian revolutionary and writer (1879–1925) 19th century
  13. 13 Boris Shaposhnikov Boris Shaposhnikov Soviet marshal (1882–1945) 19th century
  14. 14 Boris Vian Boris Vian French writer and musician (1920–1959) Contemporary
  15. 15 Boris Tadić Boris Tadić President of Serbia from 2004 to 2012 b. 1958 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Boris I of Bulgaria Boris I of Bulgaria Knyaz of Bulgaria from 852 to 889 828–907 · Medieval
  17. 17 Boris Pugo Boris Pugo Soviet Latvian politician (1937–1991) Contemporary
  18. 18 Boris Skossyreff Boris Skossyreff Belarusian adventurer and self-declared King of Andorra (1896–1989) 19th century
  19. 19 Boris Kustodiev Boris Kustodiev Russian painter and stage designer (1878–1927) 19th century
  20. 20 Boris Trajkovski Boris Trajkovski President of Macedonia from 1999 to 2004 1956–2004 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Boris?

The median living Boris is about 33 years old. Half of all living Boriss are between 18 and 55 years old.

How many people named Boris are alive today?

An estimated 3,500 people named Boris are alive in the United States, based on 4,621 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Boris in 2025?

Boris ranked #3,189 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Boris?

4,621 babies have been named Boris in the United States since 1911, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Boris most popular?

Boris peaked in 1970, when 82 newborns received the name.

Is Boris a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Boris rising or falling?

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

Will Boris become more popular?

Boris is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 31 boys named Boris 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 Boris?

Well-known people named Boris include Boris Johnson (politician), Boris Yeltsin (politician), Boris Becker (tennis player).

Names like Boris

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

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