Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2022

Galileo

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,172 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#4,172
among boys · ↓693 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
25
named Galileo · -24% vs 2024
How common
1 in 68,323
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
44 babies
All-time total
530
#7,616 all-time among boys
First recorded
1915
in Social Security records

Galileo popularity over time

530 babies have been named Galileo since 1915, 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
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2022Boys

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 5 1 – #4,044
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s 5 1 – #6,129
1980s – – – –
1990s 38 4 – #6,259
2000s 82 8 +116% #5,580
2010s 203 20 +148% #3,612
2020s (to 2025) 197 33 +62% #2,888

Where Galileo 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 25 0.01 outside top 500
2027 25 0.01 outside top 500
2028 25 0.01 outside top 500
2029 25 0.01 outside top 500
2030 25 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Galileo

Galileo is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,172 in 2025 with 25 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1915, 530 American babies have been named Galileo. Its peak came in 2022, when 44 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 Galileo stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Galileo?

The median living Galileo is about 8 years old; half are between 4 and 15. An estimated 500 people named Galileo are alive in the United States today.

median 8 020406080100

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

Galileo year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 25 #4,172
2024 33 #3,479
2023 27 #4,043
2022 44 #2,888
2021 38 #3,140
2020 30 #3,604
2019 30 #3,660
2018 28 #3,819
2017 24 #4,258
2016 22 #4,515
2015 30 #3,612
2014 21 #4,595
2013 13 #6,367
2012 13 #6,432
2011 11 #7,159
2010 11 #7,237
2009 15 #5,897
2008 16 #5,580
2007 6 #11,396
2006 12 #6,599
2005 – –
2004 7 #9,250
2003 7 #8,980
2002 – –
2001 10 #6,616
2000 9 #7,017
1995 5 #9,324
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 5 #4,044
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Galileo

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

  1. 1 Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei Italian physicist and astronomer (1564–1642) 16th century
  2. 2 Galileo Ferraris Galileo Ferraris Italian physicist and electrical engineer (1847–1897) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Galileo?

The median living Galileo is about 8 years old. Half of all living Galileos are between 4 and 15 years old.

How many people named Galileo are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Galileo are alive in the United States, based on 530 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Galileo in 2025?

Galileo ranked #4,172 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 25 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Galileo?

530 babies have been named Galileo in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Galileo most popular?

Galileo peaked in 2022, when 44 newborns received the name.

Is Galileo a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Galileo rising or falling?

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

Will Galileo become more popular?

Galileo looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 25 boys named Galileo in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Galileo?

Well-known people named Galileo include Galileo Galilei (astronomer), Galileo Ferraris (physicist).

Names like Galileo

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

Compare Galileo with similar names → More names starting with G →