Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2020

Nation

Gender Unisex · 15% girls Rank 2025 #4,652 Trend ↓ Falling 19%
Rank 2025
#4,652
among boys · ↑177 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
29
named Nation · +38% vs 2024
How common
1 in 77,640
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2020
52 babies
All-time total
499
#8,713 all-time among boys
First recorded
1997
in Social Security records

Nation popularity over time

499 babies have been named Nation since 1997, 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
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – 11 11 1 – #8,934
2000s 5 87 92 9 +736% #5,733
2010s 36 144 180 18 +96% #4,196
2020s (to 2025) 34 182 216 36 +100% #2,848

Where Nation 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 22 0.01 outside top 500
2027 22 0.01 outside top 500
2028 21 0.01 outside top 500
2029 21 0.01 outside top 500
2030 21 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Nation

Nation is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,652 in 2025 with 22 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1997, 499 American babies have been named Nation, about 85% boys and 15% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2020, when 52 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 Nation stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nation?

The median living Nation is about 6 years old; half are between 4 and 13. An estimated 500 people named Nation are alive in the United States today.

median 6 020406080100

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

Nation 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 7 #12,802 22 #4,652
2024 – – 21 #4,829
2023 – – 24 #4,426
2022 12 #8,899 29 #3,840
2021 5 #16,964 44 #2,848
2020 10 #10,060 42 #2,872
2019 11 #9,568 25 #4,196
2018 8 #12,167 18 #5,250
2017 6 #15,395 19 #5,055
2016 5 #18,082 17 #5,479
2015 6 #15,860 7 #10,293
2014 – – 17 #5,412
2013 – – 16 #5,565
2012 – – 6 #11,817
2011 – – 11 #7,354
2010 – – 8 #9,407
2009 – – 16 #5,733
2008 – – 11 #7,560
2007 – – 13 #6,508
2006 – – 12 #6,777
2005 – – 9 #8,104
2004 – – 8 #8,693
2003 – – 13 #5,781
2002 5 #17,334 – –
2001 – – – –
2000 – – 5 #11,622
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nation?

The median living Nation is about 6 years old. Half of all living Nations are between 4 and 13 years old.

How many people named Nation are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Nation are alive in the United States, based on 499 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Nation in 2025?

Nation ranked #4,652 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 22 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nation?

499 babies have been named Nation in the United States since 1997, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nation most popular?

Nation peaked in 2020, when 52 newborns received the name.

Is Nation a boy or girl name?

Nation is used for both: about 15% of babies named Nation have been girls and 85% boys.

Is the name Nation rising or falling?

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

Will Nation become more popular?

Nation looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 21 boys named Nation in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nation

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

Compare Nation with similar names → More names starting with N →