Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1991

German

Meaning the peoples of Germānia Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,541 Trend ↓ Falling 15%

From Latin Germānus, Germānī (“the peoples of Germānia”), as distinct from Gauls (in the writings of Caesar and Tacitus), and of uncertain ultimate origin (possibly…

Rank 2025
#1,541
among boys · ↑112 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
112
named German · +10% vs 2024
How common
1 in 15,251
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1991
304 babies
All-time total
10,295
#1,186 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

German popularity over time

10,295 babies have been named German 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
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – #996
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 14 14 1 – #1,113
1910s – 93 93 9 +564% #1,684
1920s – 117 117 12 +26% #2,034
1930s – 92 92 9 -21% #1,778
1940s – 99 99 10 +8% #1,978
1950s – 212 212 21 +114% #1,290
1960s – 371 371 37 +75% #976
1970s – 766 766 77 +106% #844
1980s – 1,349 1,349 135 +76% #595
1990s 5 2,488 2,493 249 +85% #582
2000s – 2,402 2,402 240 -4% #664
2010s – 1,585 1,585 159 -34% #1,041
2020s (to 2025) – 697 697 116 -27% #1,429

Where German 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 109 0.06 outside top 500
2027 106 0.06 outside top 500
2028 103 0.06 outside top 500
2029 102 0.06 outside top 500
2030 100 0.06 outside top 500

Where German is most popular

Boys named German per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.067 per 1,000. Strongest in Arizona, Texas, 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 German 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
Arizona 43 0.263 +294%
Texas 125 0.142 +113%
California 121 0.132 +98%
Florida 34 0.072 +8%
Illinois 15 0.059 -12%
North Carolina 12 0.047 -30%
Maryland 5 0.042 -37%
New York 17 0.039 -41%
New Jersey 6 0.030 -55%
Virginia 5 0.026 -60%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
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 German

German is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,541 in 2025 with 112 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 10,295 American babies have been named German. Its peak came in 1991, when 304 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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

How old are people named German?

The median living German is about 26 years old; half are between 16 and 36. An estimated 9,600 people named German are alive in the United States today.

median 26 020406080100

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

German 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 – – 112 #1,541
2024 – – 102 #1,653
2023 – – 123 #1,467
2022 – – 124 #1,460
2021 – – 115 #1,532
2020 – – 121 #1,429
2019 – – 132 #1,357
2018 – – 161 #1,183
2017 – – 152 #1,209
2016 – – 171 #1,130
2015 – – 155 #1,193
2014 – – 161 #1,167
2013 – – 150 #1,194
2012 – – 166 #1,114
2011 – – 150 #1,182
2010 – – 187 #1,041
2009 – – 215 #945
2008 – – 247 #862
2007 – – 215 #920
2006 – – 237 #849
2005 – – 251 #780
2004 – – 216 #825
2003 – – 266 #707
2002 – – 226 #763
2001 – – 274 #664
2000 – – 255 #692
1995 – – 246 #670
1990 – – 269 #614
1985 – – 120 #812
1980 – – 107 #858
1975 – – 89 #881
1970 – – 58 #1,073
1965 – – 45 #1,116
1960 – – 29 #1,499
1955 – – 22 #1,657
1950 – – 11 #2,368
1945 – – 11 #2,171
1940 – – 9 #2,554
1935 – – 8 #2,793
1930 – – 18 #1,778
1925 – – 10 #2,824
1920 – – 12 #2,513
1915 – – 16 #1,821
1910 – – 5 #1,684
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named German

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

  1. 1 German Apukhtin Russian footballer 1936–2003 · Contemporary
  2. 2 German Sveshnikov Soviet fencer (1937–2003) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average German?

The median living German is about 26 years old. Half of all living Germans are between 16 and 36 years old.

How many people named German are alive today?

An estimated 9,600 people named German are alive in the United States, based on 10,295 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name German mean?

From Latin Germānus, Germānī (“the peoples of Germānia”), as distinct from Gauls (in the writings of Caesar and Tacitus), and of uncertain ultimate origin (possibly Celtic/Gaulish).

How popular is the name German in 2025?

German ranked #1,541 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 112 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named German?

10,295 babies have been named German in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name German most popular?

German peaked in 1991, when 304 newborns received the name.

Is German a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name German rising or falling?

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

Will German become more popular?

German is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 100 boys named German 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 German?

Well-known people named German include German Apukhtin (soccer player), German Sveshnikov (athlete).

Names like German

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

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