boys' name ★ peaked 2018

Duke

Meaning A male given name from English Gender Boy Rank 2025 #695 Trend ↓ Falling 18%

A male given name from English; mostly US and rather rare.

Rank 2025
#695
among boys · ↑10 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
390
named Duke · +2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 4,380
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2018
529 babies
All-time total
11,595
#1,102 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Duke popularity over time

11,595 babies have been named Duke 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
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2018Boys

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 35 4 – #765
1890s 67 7 +91% #743
1900s 71 7 +6% #754
1910s 276 28 +289% #868
1920s 362 36 +31% #1,025
1930s 344 34 -5% #925
1940s 429 43 +25% #893
1950s 780 78 +82% #715
1960s 795 80 +2% #764
1970s 553 55 -30% #905
1980s 450 45 -19% #1,299
1990s 566 57 +26% #1,315
2000s 756 76 +34% #1,548
2010s 3,699 370 +389% #533
2020s (to 2025) 2,412 402 +9% #633

Where Duke 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 377 0.22 outside top 500
2027 367 0.21 outside top 500
2028 358 0.21 outside top 500
2029 351 0.21 outside top 500
2030 345 0.20 outside top 500

Where Duke is most popular

Boys named Duke per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.230 per 1,000. Strongest in Hawaii, Utah, and Iowa.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Duke born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Hawaii 54 3.48 +1411%
Utah 70 0.733 +219%
Iowa 31 0.450 +95%
Colorado 50 0.387 +68%
Missouri 53 0.382 +66%
Minnesota 43 0.351 +52%
Ohio 84 0.317 +38%
Arizona 50 0.306 +33%
Indiana 49 0.306 +33%
Tennessee 53 0.294 +28%
Illinois 75 0.293 +27%
Louisiana 30 0.293 +27%
Michigan 60 0.293 +27%
Kansas 20 0.292 +27%
Wisconsin 34 0.287 +25%
Pennsylvania 74 0.279 +21%
Oregon 20 0.263 +14%
Oklahoma 23 0.260 +13%
California 237 0.259 +13%
Virginia 45 0.237 ≈ national
Texas 197 0.224 ≈ national
Georgia 55 0.217 -6%
Massachusetts 28 0.204 -12%
Florida 93 0.196 -15%
Arkansas 12 0.190 -18%
Washington 31 0.189 -18%
Maryland 21 0.176 -23%
South Carolina 16 0.155 -33%
Idaho 6 0.147 -36%
North Carolina 37 0.145 -37%
Kentucky 13 0.130 -44%
New York 55 0.127 -45%
Nebraska 5 0.115 -50%
New Jersey 21 0.104 -55%
Connecticut 7 0.103 -55%
Alabama 11 0.101 -56%
Mississippi 5 0.088 -62%
Nevada 5 0.088 -62%
Alaska – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Duke

Duke is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #695 in 2025 with 390 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 11,595 American babies have been named Duke. Its peak came in 2018, when 529 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 Duke stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Duke?

The median living Duke is about 10 years old; half are between 6 and 36. An estimated 9,800 people named Duke are alive in the United States today.

median 10 020406080100

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

Duke year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 390 #695
2024 381 #705
2023 395 #683
2022 403 #678
2021 419 #652
2020 424 #633
2019 522 #541
2018 529 #533
2017 523 #541
2016 515 #558
2015 455 #603
2014 384 #669
2013 323 #722
2012 160 #1,147
2011 147 #1,201
2010 141 #1,247
2009 89 #1,733
2008 104 #1,548
2007 96 #1,615
2006 89 #1,621
2005 75 #1,759
2004 62 #1,959
2003 74 #1,678
2002 59 #1,900
2001 53 #2,013
2000 55 #1,900
1995 55 #1,655
1990 59 #1,471
1985 37 #1,681
1980 47 #1,383
1975 44 #1,308
1970 78 #905
1965 70 #877
1960 96 #776
1955 85 #794
1950 60 #887
1945 35 #1,106
1940 45 #955
1935 22 #1,463
1930 33 #1,241
1925 45 #1,025
1920 33 #1,259
1915 35 #1,091
1910 13 #883
1905 6 #1,130
1900 11 #798
1895 7 #903
1890 7 #830
1885 – –
1880 7 #765

Famous people named Duke

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

  1. 1 Duke Ellington Duke Ellington American jazz pianist and composer (1899–1974) 19th century
  2. 2 Duke Kahanamoku Duke Kahanamoku Hawaiian surfer (1890–1968) 19th century
  3. 3 Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria German noble (1808–1888) 19th century
  4. 4 Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Prince consort of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1934 1876–1934 · 19th century
  5. 5 Duke Dumont Duke Dumont British DJ and producer (born 1981) b. 1982 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Duke Alexander of Württemberg Duke Alexander of Württemberg German nobleman 1804–1885 · 19th century
  7. 7 Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg Prince of Mirow 1708–1752 · 18th century
  8. 8 Duke Louis of Württemberg Duke Louis of Württemberg Prussian nobleman (1756–1817) 18th century
  9. 9 Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria Bavarian royal (1849–1893) 19th century
  10. 10 Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg German explorer and politician 1873–1969 · 19th century
  11. 11 Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel German military officer (1721–1792) 18th century
  12. 12 Duke Pearson Duke Pearson American jazz pianist and composer (1932–80) Contemporary
  13. 13 Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick German prince and military officer 1714–1774 · 18th century
  14. 14 Duke Philipp of Württemberg Duke Philipp of Württemberg German prince (1838–1917) 19th century
  15. 15 Duke Xiao of Qin Ruler of Chinese state of Qin from 361 to 338 BC -381–-338 · Antiquity
  16. 16 Duke Huan of Qi Duke Huan of Qi Ruler of Qi (r. 685 to 643 BCE) -800–-643 · Antiquity
  17. 17 Duke Pius August in Bavaria Duke Pius August in Bavaria Duke of Bavaria 1786–1837 · 18th century
  18. 18 Duke Peter of Oldenburg Duke Peter of Oldenburg German duke b. 1812 · 19th century
  19. 19 Duke Alexander of Württemberg Duke Alexander of Württemberg German noble 1771–1833 · 18th century
  20. 20 Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen 1752–1837 · 18th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Duke?

The median living Duke is about 10 years old. Half of all living Dukes are between 6 and 36 years old.

How many people named Duke are alive today?

An estimated 9,800 people named Duke are alive in the United States, based on 11,595 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Duke mean?

A male given name from English; mostly US and rather rare.

How popular is the name Duke in 2025?

Duke ranked #695 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 390 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Duke?

11,595 babies have been named Duke in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Duke most popular?

Duke peaked in 2018, when 529 newborns received the name.

Is Duke a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Duke rising or falling?

Duke has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Duke become more popular?

Duke is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 345 boys named Duke 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 Duke?

Well-known people named Duke include Duke Ellington (musician), Duke Kahanamoku (swimmer), Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria (nobleman).

Names like Duke

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

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