Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1962

Chip

Meaning A diminutive of the male given names Christopher and Charles Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,274 Trend ↓ Falling 23%

A diminutive of the male given names Christopher and Charles.

Rank 2025
#4,274
among boys · ↓992 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
24
named Chip · -33% vs 2024
How common
1 in 71,170
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1962
171 babies
All-time total
3,493
#2,288 all-time among boys
First recorded
1942
in Social Security records

Chip popularity over time

3,493 babies have been named Chip since 1942, 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1963Boys

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 138 14 – #1,352
1950s 781 78 +466% #653
1960s 1,229 123 +57% #593
1970s 566 57 -54% #846
1980s 273 27 -52% #1,381
1990s 73 7 -73% #4,004
2000s 48 5 -34% #8,614
2010s 164 16 +242% #2,701
2020s (to 2025) 221 37 +125% #2,665

Where Chip 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 23 0.01 outside top 500
2027 22 0.01 outside top 500
2028 22 0.01 outside top 500
2029 21 0.01 outside top 500
2030 21 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Chip

Chip is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,274 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1942, 3,493 American babies have been named Chip. Its peak came in 1962, when 171 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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

How old are people named Chip?

The median living Chip is about 58 years old; half are between 45 and 65. An estimated 3,000 people named Chip are alive in the United States today.

median 58 020406080100

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

Chip year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 24 #4,274
2024 36 #3,282
2023 32 #3,579
2022 43 #2,928
2021 39 #3,082
2020 47 #2,665
2019 47 #2,701
2018 31 #3,549
2017 35 #3,256
2016 16 #5,602
2015 14 #6,054
2014 8 #8,920
2013 7 #9,837
2012 – –
2011 6 #11,075
2010 – –
2009 6 #11,245
2008 5 #12,858
2007 8 #9,057
2006 6 #10,907
2005 5 #11,749
2004 – –
2003 5 #11,179
2002 7 #8,614
2001 6 #9,460
2000 – –
1995 5 #9,085
1990 14 #4,004
1985 25 #2,180
1980 47 #1,381
1975 29 #1,714
1970 91 #846
1965 109 #715
1960 133 #681
1955 96 #746
1950 35 #1,223
1945 17 #1,638
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Chip

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

  1. 1 Chip Taylor Chip Taylor American singer and songwriter (1940–2026) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Chip?

The median living Chip is about 58 years old. Half of all living Chips are between 45 and 65 years old.

How many people named Chip are alive today?

An estimated 3,000 people named Chip are alive in the United States, based on 3,493 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Chip mean?

A diminutive of the male given names Christopher and Charles.

How popular is the name Chip in 2025?

Chip ranked #4,274 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Chip?

3,493 babies have been named Chip in the United States since 1942, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chip most popular?

Chip peaked in 1962, when 171 newborns received the name.

Is Chip a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Chip rising or falling?

Chip is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Chip become more popular?

Chip is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 21 boys named Chip 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 Chip?

Well-known people named Chip include Chip Taylor (singer).

Names like Chip

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

Compare Chip with similar names → More names starting with C →