Doc: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,975

among boys · ↓150 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Doc · -7% vs 2024

How common

1 in 63,262

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2021

37 babies

All-time total

1,391

#4,171 all-time among boys

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Doc popularity over time

1,391 babies have been named Doc since 1880, 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

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	121	12	–	#415
1890s	90	9	-26%	#499
1900s	88	9	-2%	#587
1910s	166	17	+89%	#940
1920s	170	17	+2%	#1,428
1930s	68	7	-60%	#1,898
1940s	61	6	-10%	#2,568
1950s	63	6	+3%	#2,534
1960s	41	4	-35%	#2,835
1970s	27	3	-34%	#3,747
1980s	38	4	+41%	#4,660
1990s	32	3	-16%	#6,553
2000s	83	8	+159%	#6,501
2010s	177	18	+113%	#3,244
2020s (to 2025)	166	28	+56%	#3,200

Where Doc 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	28	0.02	outside top 500
2027	29	0.02	outside top 500
2028	29	0.02	outside top 500
2029	30	0.02	outside top 500
2030	30	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Doc

Doc is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,975 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 1,391 American babies have been named Doc. Its peak came in 2021, when 37 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Doc?

The median living Doc is about 13 years old; half are between 5 and 40. An estimated 600 people named Doc are alive in the United States today.

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

Doc year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	27	#3,975
2024	29	#3,825
2023	20	#4,925
2022	32	#3,557
2021	37	#3,200
2020	21	#4,578
2019	26	#4,036
2018	20	#4,787
2017	24	#4,254
2016	35	#3,244
2015	10	#7,638
2014	13	#6,389
2013	11	#7,157
2012	18	#5,090
2011	10	#7,641
2010	10	#7,738
2009	11	#7,339
2008	13	#6,501
2007	9	#8,360
2006	6	#11,019
2005	8	#8,496
2004	11	#6,655
2003	8	#8,048
2002	5	#11,139
2001	7	#8,548
2000	5	#10,843
1995	8	#6,553
1990	5	#8,475
1985	7	#5,301
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	6	#4,375
1965	5	#4,045
1960	6	#3,764
1955	10	#2,624
1950	7	#3,106
1945	5	#3,438
1940	6	#3,214
1935	9	#2,580
1930	12	#2,331
1925	22	#1,641
1920	27	#1,428
1915	17	#1,720
1910	9	#1,139
1905	9	#854
1900	18	#587
1895	9	#750
1890	9	#682
1885	12	#556
1880	9	#646

Famous people named Doc

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

1 Doc Holliday Gambler, gunfighter, and dentist in the American West (1851–1887) 19th century
2 Doc Rivers American basketball coach and player (born 1961) Contemporary
3 Doc Watson American musician (1923–2012) Contemporary
4 Doc Shaw American actor (born 1992) Contemporary
5 Doc Pomus American musician (1925–1991) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Doc?

The median living Doc is about 13 years old. Half of all living Docs are between 5 and 40 years old.

How many people named Doc are alive today?

An estimated 600 people named Doc are alive in the United States, based on 1,391 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Doc in 2025?

Doc ranked #3,975 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Doc?

1,391 babies have been named Doc in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Doc most popular?

Doc peaked in 2021, when 37 newborns received the name.

Is Doc a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Doc rising or falling?

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

Will Doc become more popular?

Doc is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 30 boys named Doc 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 Doc?

Well-known people named Doc include Doc Holliday (military personnel), Doc Rivers (basketball player), Doc Watson (musician).

Names like Doc

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

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