Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1921

Horace

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #6,245
Rank 2025
#6,245
among boys · ↓938 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
14
named Horace
How common
1 in 122,005
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
1,313 babies
All-time total
54,356
#479 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Horace popularity over time

54,356 babies have been named Horace 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
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 1,650 1,650 165 – #79
1890s – 1,814 1,814 181 +10% #90
1900s – 2,125 2,125 213 +17% #96
1910s 23 8,489 8,512 851 +301% #119
1920s 64 11,777 11,841 1,184 +39% #128
1930s 46 8,126 8,172 817 -31% #158
1940s 26 6,876 6,902 690 -16% #193
1950s 27 5,719 5,746 575 -17% #251
1960s 16 3,138 3,154 315 -45% #386
1970s – 1,816 1,816 182 -42% #511
1980s – 1,118 1,118 112 -38% #736
1990s – 753 753 75 -33% #1,018
2000s – 384 384 38 -49% #1,806
2010s – 262 262 26 -32% #2,905
2020s (to 2025) – 107 107 18 -32% #4,611

The story of Horace

Horace is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,245 in 2025 with 14 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 54,356 American babies have been named Horace. Its peak came in 1921, when 1,313 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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

How old are people named Horace?

The median living Horace is about 68 years old; half are between 54 and 78. An estimated 16 thousand people named Horace are alive in the United States today.

median 68 020406080100

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

Horace 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 – – 14 #6,245
2024 – – 18 #5,307
2023 – – 18 #5,324
2022 – – 22 #4,611
2021 – – 17 #5,419
2020 – – 18 #5,111
2019 – – 22 #4,535
2018 – – 20 #4,812
2017 – – 28 #3,821
2016 – – 23 #4,382
2015 – – 23 #4,339
2014 – – 40 #2,905
2013 – – 17 #5,256
2012 – – 26 #3,938
2011 – – 35 #3,197
2010 – – 28 #3,748
2009 – – 21 #4,643
2008 – – 28 #3,768
2007 – – 27 #3,826
2006 – – 30 #3,467
2005 – – 35 #2,975
2004 – – 48 #2,360
2003 – – 38 #2,640
2002 – – 38 #2,573
2001 – – 59 #1,878
2000 – – 60 #1,806
1995 – – 70 #1,420
1990 – – 105 #1,035
1985 – – 99 #912
1980 – – 122 #793
1975 – – 146 #682
1970 – – 241 #520
1965 – – 306 #442
1960 5 #6,719 419 #386
1955 8 #4,526 548 #311
1950 – – 687 #251
1945 – – 598 #225
1940 – – 661 #199
1935 – – 788 #174
1930 5 #4,843 973 #158
1925 11 #3,021 1,140 #145
1920 7 #4,162 1,276 #128
1915 11 #2,607 1,114 #122
1910 – – 261 #123
1905 – – 212 #101
1900 – – 244 #97
1895 – – 211 #90
1890 – – 162 #103
1885 – – 155 #94
1880 – – 199 #79

Famous people named Horace

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

  1. 1 Horace Grant Horace Grant American basketball player (born 1965) Contemporary
  2. 2 Horace Horace Roman lyric poet (65–8 BC) -65–-8 · Antiquity
  3. 3 Horace Greeley Horace Greeley American politician and publisher (1811–1872) 19th century
  4. 4 Horace Mann Horace Mann American educational reformer (1796–1859) 18th century
  5. 5 Horace Walpole Horace Walpole British politician, writer, historian and antiquarian (1717–1797) 18th century
  6. 6 Horace Silver Horace Silver American jazz pianist and composer (1928–2014) Contemporary
  7. 7 Horace Vernet Horace Vernet French painter (1789–1863) 18th century
  8. 8 Horace Wells Horace Wells American dentist who pioneered the use of anesthesia (1815–1848) 19th century
  9. 9 Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta French soldier, diplomat, and politician (1771–1851) 1772–1851 · 18th century
  10. 10 Horace McCoy American writer (1897–1955) 19th century
  11. 11 Horace Bénédict de Saussure Horace Bénédict de Saussure Genevan scientist and mountaineer (1740–1799) 18th century
  12. 12 Horace Lamb Horace Lamb English mathematician (1849–1934) 19th century
  13. 13 Horace Parnell Tuttle American astronomer (1837–1923) 19th century
  14. 14 Horace Ashenfelter Horace Ashenfelter American athlete (1923–2018) Contemporary
  15. 15 Horace Gould British racing driver (1921–1968) Contemporary
  16. 16 Horace W. Babcock Horace W. Babcock American astronomer (1912–2003) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Horace?

The median living Horace is about 68 years old. Half of all living Horaces are between 54 and 78 years old.

How many people named Horace are alive today?

An estimated 16 thousand people named Horace are alive in the United States, based on 54,356 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Horace in 2025?

Horace ranked #6,245 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 14 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Horace?

54,356 babies have been named Horace in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Horace most popular?

Horace peaked in 1921, when 1,313 newborns received the name.

Is Horace a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Horace rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Horace?

Well-known people named Horace include Horace Grant (basketball player), Horace (writer), Horace Greeley (politician).

Names like Horace

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

Compare Horace with similar names → More names starting with H →