Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2019

Boy

Meaning Boy is a masculine given name, nickname, and surname Gender Boy Rank 2025 #5,238

Boy is a masculine given name, nickname, and surname.

Rank 2025
#5,238
among boys · ↓1,239 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
18
named Boy · -33% vs 2024
How common
1 in 94,893
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2019
42 babies
All-time total
923
#5,411 all-time among boys
First recorded
1900
in Social Security records

Boy popularity over time

923 babies have been named Boy since 1900, 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 1903Boys

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 15 2 – #1,150
1910s 10 1 -33% #3,891
1920s 7 1 -30% #3,512
1930s 5 1 -29% #3,838
1940s – – – –
1950s 5 1 – #3,861
1960s – – – –
1970s 7 1 – #4,606
1980s 48 5 +586% #3,825
1990s 217 22 +352% #2,298
2000s 192 19 -12% #2,493
2010s 264 26 +38% #2,903
2020s (to 2025) 153 26 -3% #3,592

The story of Boy

Boy is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,238 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1900, 923 American babies have been named Boy. Its peak came in 2019, when 42 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 Boy stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Boy?

The median living Boy is about 17 years old; half are between 7 and 28. An estimated 900 people named Boy are alive in the United States today.

median 17 020406080100

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

Boy year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 18 #5,238
2024 27 #3,999
2023 26 #4,125
2022 26 #4,105
2021 31 #3,592
2020 25 #4,036
2019 42 #2,903
2018 40 #2,953
2017 32 #3,453
2016 20 #4,800
2015 27 #3,893
2014 28 #3,702
2013 20 #4,645
2012 21 #4,556
2011 18 #5,001
2010 16 #5,508
2009 12 #6,858
2008 32 #3,427
2007 13 #6,309
2006 24 #4,012
2005 15 #5,316
2004 14 #5,529
2003 14 #5,301
2002 15 #4,937
2001 39 #2,493
2000 14 #5,066
1995 20 #3,315
1990 11 #4,694
1985 11 #3,825
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 5 #3,891
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 5 #1,337
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Boy

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

  1. 1 Boy George Boy George British musician (born 1961) Contemporary
  2. 2 Boy Waterman Boy Waterman Dutch footballer b. 1984 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Boy Hayje Boy Hayje Dutch racing driver (born 1949) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Boy?

The median living Boy is about 17 years old. Half of all living Boys are between 7 and 28 years old.

How many people named Boy are alive today?

An estimated 900 people named Boy are alive in the United States, based on 923 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Boy mean?

Boy is a masculine given name, nickname, and surname.

How popular is the name Boy in 2025?

Boy ranked #5,238 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Boy?

923 babies have been named Boy in the United States since 1900, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Boy most popular?

Boy peaked in 2019, when 42 newborns received the name.

Is Boy a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Boy rising or falling?

Boy has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Boy?

Well-known people named Boy include Boy George (singer), Boy Waterman (soccer player), Boy Hayje (racing driver).

Names like Boy

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

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