boys' name ★ peaked 2007

Fabian

Meaning belonging to Fabius Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #468 Trend → Stable

From Latin Fabiānus (“belonging to Fabius”), derived from Fabius + -ānus.

Rank 2025
#468
among boys · ↓27 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
655
named Fabian · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 2,608
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2007
1,403 babies
All-time total
44,577
#543 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Fabian popularity over time

44,577 babies have been named Fabian since 1882, 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
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 – 5 5 1 – #989
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 42 42 4 – #831
1910s – 213 213 21 +407% #1,185
1920s – 353 353 35 +66% #1,120
1930s – 253 253 25 -28% #1,182
1940s – 247 247 25 -2% #1,283
1950s 72 503 575 58 +133% #610
1960s 6 1,624 1,630 163 +183% #563
1970s 29 2,636 2,665 267 +63% #418
1980s 97 4,440 4,537 454 +70% #373
1990s 89 8,080 8,169 817 +80% #289
2000s 34 11,969 12,003 1,200 +47% #253
2010s – 9,793 9,793 979 -18% #291
2020s (to 2025) – 4,092 4,092 682 -30% #423

Where Fabian 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 644 0.38 #473
2027 636 0.37 #478
2028 628 0.37 #481
2029 622 0.36 #483
2030 617 0.36 #486

Where Fabian is most popular

Boys named Fabian per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.392 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, Nevada, and California.

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 Fabian 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
New Mexico 44 1.34 +241%
Nevada 60 1.05 +169%
California 801 0.876 +124%
Texas 762 0.865 +121%
Arizona 141 0.862 +120%
Colorado 92 0.713 +82%
Florida 282 0.596 +52%
Illinois 149 0.583 +49%
Washington 72 0.440 +12%
Oregon 32 0.422 +8%
Connecticut 27 0.399 ≈ national
Georgia 87 0.343 -12%
New Jersey 65 0.323 -18%
Oklahoma 27 0.305 -22%
Alabama 29 0.265 -32%
New York 110 0.254 -35%
Utah 24 0.251 -36%
Kansas 17 0.248 -37%
North Carolina 63 0.247 -37%
Idaho 10 0.244 -38%
Indiana 37 0.231 -41%
Arkansas 14 0.221 -44%
Maryland 26 0.218 -44%
Virginia 41 0.216 -45%
South Carolina 22 0.213 -46%
Wisconsin 23 0.194 -50%
Nebraska 7 0.161 -59%
Pennsylvania 41 0.154 -61%
Tennessee 27 0.150 -62%
Massachusetts 17 0.124 -68%
Minnesota 13 0.106 -73%
Iowa 6 0.087 -78%
Missouri 11 0.079 -80%
Ohio 16 0.060 -85%
Louisiana 6 0.059 -85%
Michigan 7 0.034 -91%
Alaska – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
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 Fabian

Fabian is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #468 in 2025 with 655 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 44,577 American babies have been named Fabian. Its peak came in 2007, when 1,403 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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

How old are people named Fabian?

The median living Fabian is about 21 years old; half are between 13 and 33. An estimated 42 thousand people named Fabian are alive in the United States today.

median 21 020406080100

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

Fabian 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 – – 655 #468
2024 – – 714 #441
2023 – – 658 #465
2022 – – 673 #457
2021 – – 684 #448
2020 – – 708 #423
2019 – – 796 #393
2018 – – 810 #391
2017 – – 825 #388
2016 – – 868 #377
2015 – – 943 #357
2014 – – 1,053 #325
2013 – – 1,096 #313
2012 – – 1,162 #298
2011 – – 1,198 #291
2010 – – 1,042 #305
2009 – – 1,174 #283
2008 6 #16,046 1,178 #289
2007 7 #14,396 1,396 #253
2006 5 #18,036 1,276 #271
2005 – – 1,232 #270
2004 6 #14,746 1,224 #267
2003 5 #16,572 1,147 #272
2002 – – 1,150 #271
2001 5 #16,145 1,111 #275
2000 – – 1,081 #284
1995 10 #8,285 719 #339
1990 6 #11,847 767 #325
1985 9 #7,137 459 #392
1980 6 #9,439 360 #433
1975 6 #8,308 246 #511
1970 – – 217 #552
1965 6 #6,020 163 #596
1960 – – 186 #574
1955 – – 47 #1,092
1950 18 #2,375 32 #1,275
1945 – – 20 #1,508
1940 – – 23 #1,415
1935 – – 24 #1,402
1930 – – 20 #1,664
1925 – – 34 #1,238
1920 – – 29 #1,357
1915 – – 28 #1,247
1910 – – 7 #1,348
1905 – – 6 #1,141
1900 – – 9 #930
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Fabian

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

  1. 1 Fabian von Schlabrendorff German jurist, soldier, and member of the resistance against Adolf Hitler (1907–1980) Contemporary
  2. 2 Fabian Picardo Fabian Picardo Gibraltarian politician (born 1972) Contemporary
  3. 3 Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara Swiss cyclist (born 1981) Contemporary
  4. 4 Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen Russian Navy officer, cartographer, and explorer (1778–1852) 18th century
  5. 5 Fabian Frei Fabian Frei Swiss footballer (born 1989) Contemporary
  6. 6 Fabian Ernst Fabian Ernst German footballer (born 1979) Contemporary
  7. 7 Fabian Hambüchen Fabian Hambüchen German gymnast (born 1987) Contemporary
  8. 8 Fabian Benko Fabian Benko Croatian footballer b. 1998 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Fabian Wegmann Fabian Wegmann German road bicycle racer b. 1980 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Fabian Lustenberger Fabian Lustenberger Swiss footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
  11. 11 Fabian Giefer Fabian Giefer German footballer b. 1990 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Fabian Rießle Fabian Rießle German Nordic combined skier b. 1990 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Fabian?

The median living Fabian is about 21 years old. Half of all living Fabians are between 13 and 33 years old.

How many people named Fabian are alive today?

An estimated 42 thousand people named Fabian are alive in the United States, based on 44,577 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Fabian mean?

From Latin Fabiānus (“belonging to Fabius”), derived from Fabius + -ānus.

How popular is the name Fabian in 2025?

Fabian ranked #468 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 655 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Fabian?

44,577 babies have been named Fabian in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Fabian most popular?

Fabian peaked in 2007, when 1,403 newborns received the name.

Is Fabian a boy or girl name?

Fabian is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Fabian rising or falling?

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

Will Fabian become more popular?

Fabian looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 617 boys named Fabian in 2030, ranking around #486. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Fabian?

Well-known people named Fabian include Fabian von Schlabrendorff (lawyer), Fabian Picardo (politician), Fabian Cancellara (cyclist).

Names like Fabian

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

Compare Fabian with similar names → More names starting with F →