Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2012

December

Meaning tenth month Gender Girl · 1% boys Rank 2025 #5,768 Trend ↓ Falling 20%

From Middle English December, Decembre, from Old French decembre, from Latin december (“tenth month”), from Latin decem (“ten”); + Latin -ber, from -bris, an adjectival…

Rank 2025
#5,768
among girls · ↓577 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
21
named December · -16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 76,537
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2012
46 babies
All-time total
1,619
#5,445 all-time among girls
First recorded
1960
in Social Security records

December popularity over time

1,619 babies have been named December since 1960, 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
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
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 – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s 64 – 64 6 – #4,150
1970s 160 – 160 16 +150% #2,736
1980s 225 – 225 23 +41% #2,792
1990s 299 – 299 30 +33% #2,892
2000s 320 – 320 32 +7% #3,579
2010s 357 6 363 36 +13% #3,482
2020s (to 2025) 183 5 188 31 -14% #3,951

Where December 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 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 19 0.01 outside top 500
2028 19 0.01 outside top 500
2029 18 0.01 outside top 500
2030 18 0.01 outside top 500

The story of December

December is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,768 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1960, 1,619 American babies have been named December. Its peak came in 2012, when 46 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 December stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named December?

The median living December is about 23 years old; half are between 11 and 37. An estimated 1,600 people named December are alive in the United States today.

median 23 020406080100

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

December 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 21 #5,768 – –
2024 25 #5,191 – –
2023 32 #4,385 – –
2022 33 #4,312 5 #12,785
2021 37 #3,951 – –
2020 35 #4,032 – –
2019 30 #4,573 – –
2018 34 #4,173 – –
2017 34 #4,241 – –
2016 32 #4,449 6 #11,049
2015 40 #3,787 – –
2014 43 #3,603 – –
2013 33 #4,353 – –
2012 46 #3,482 – –
2011 34 #4,272 – –
2010 31 #4,638 – –
2009 45 #3,579 – –
2008 36 #4,291 – –
2007 32 #4,590 – –
2006 29 #4,856 – –
2005 31 #4,400 – –
2004 35 #4,016 – –
2003 30 #4,335 – –
2002 27 #4,529 – –
2001 28 #4,349 – –
2000 27 #4,441 – –
1995 40 #2,937 – –
1990 20 #4,736 – –
1985 16 #4,678 – –
1980 26 #3,238 – –
1975 19 #3,532 – –
1970 5 #8,262 – –
1965 8 #4,932 – –
1960 5 #6,569 – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average December?

The median living December is about 23 years old. Half of all living Decembers are between 11 and 37 years old.

How many people named December are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named December are alive in the United States, based on 1,619 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name December mean?

From Middle English December, Decembre, from Old French decembre, from Latin december (“tenth month”), from Latin decem (“ten”); + Latin -ber, from -bris, an adjectival suffix; December was the tenth month in the Roman calendar.

How popular is the name December in 2025?

December ranked #5,768 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named December?

1,619 babies have been named December in the United States since 1960, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name December most popular?

December peaked in 2012, when 46 newborns received the name.

Is December a boy or girl name?

December is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name December rising or falling?

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

Will December become more popular?

December is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 18 girls named December in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like December

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

Compare December with similar names → More names starting with D →