boys' name ★ peaked 2016

Phineas

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,616 Trend ↓ Falling 12%

From Ancient Greek Φινέας (Phinéas), alternative form of Φινεύς (Phineús).

Rank 2025
#1,616
among boys · ↓70 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
105
named Phineas · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 16,267
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2016
142 babies
All-time total
2,803
#2,656 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Phineas popularity over time

2,803 babies have been named Phineas 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2016Boys

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 5 1 – #1,030
1890s 10 1 +100% #1,092
1900s – – – –
1910s 38 4 – #2,687
1920s 33 3 -13% #3,314
1930s 29 3 -12% #3,227
1940s 15 2 -48% #3,822
1950s 23 2 +53% #3,495
1960s 26 3 +13% #3,179
1970s 26 3 0% #4,307
1980s 47 5 +81% #3,806
1990s 76 8 +62% #4,149
2000s 607 61 +699% #1,339
2010s 1,190 119 +96% #1,248
2020s (to 2025) 678 113 -5% #1,404

Where Phineas 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 103 0.06 outside top 500
2027 101 0.06 outside top 500
2028 99 0.06 outside top 500
2029 98 0.06 outside top 500
2030 97 0.06 outside top 500

Where Phineas is most popular

Boys named Phineas per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.064 per 1,000. Strongest in Ohio, Idaho, and New York.

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 Phineas 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
Ohio 34 0.128 +99%
Idaho 5 0.122 +89%
New York 36 0.083 +29%
Washington 13 0.079 +23%
Pennsylvania 18 0.068 +5%
North Carolina 15 0.059 -9%
Utah 5 0.052 -19%
Texas 42 0.048 -26%
California 42 0.046 -29%
Michigan 8 0.039 -39%
Colorado 5 0.039 -40%
Indiana 5 0.031 -52%
New Jersey 6 0.030 -54%
Georgia 6 0.024 -63%
Illinois 6 0.023 -64%
Florida 6 0.013 -80%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Phineas

Phineas is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,616 in 2025 with 105 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,803 American babies have been named Phineas. Its peak came in 2016, when 142 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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

How old are people named Phineas?

The median living Phineas is about 11 years old; half are between 5 and 17. An estimated 2,600 people named Phineas are alive in the United States today.

median 11 020406080100

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

Phineas year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 105 #1,616
2024 114 #1,546
2023 99 #1,707
2022 108 #1,619
2021 131 #1,404
2020 121 #1,434
2019 118 #1,471
2018 136 #1,332
2017 129 #1,376
2016 142 #1,284
2015 95 #1,664
2014 106 #1,523
2013 98 #1,584
2012 105 #1,533
2011 120 #1,393
2010 141 #1,248
2009 130 #1,339
2008 117 #1,430
2007 88 #1,718
2006 67 #2,005
2005 43 #2,600
2004 40 #2,679
2003 39 #2,609
2002 28 #3,241
2001 28 #3,204
2000 27 #3,204
1995 7 #7,586
1990 – –
1985 8 #5,036
1980 5 #7,017
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 5 #4,256
1950 5 #4,069
1945 – –
1940 5 #3,822
1935 – –
1930 8 #3,227
1925 5 #4,740
1920 6 #4,169
1915 5 #4,265
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 5 #1,030

Famous people named Phineas

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

  1. 1 Phineas Gage Phineas Gage American brain injury survivor (1823–1860) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Phineas?

The median living Phineas is about 11 years old. Half of all living Phineass are between 5 and 17 years old.

How many people named Phineas are alive today?

An estimated 2,600 people named Phineas are alive in the United States, based on 2,803 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Phineas mean?

From Ancient Greek Φινέας (Phinéas), alternative form of Φινεύς (Phineús).

How popular is the name Phineas in 2025?

Phineas ranked #1,616 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 105 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Phineas?

2,803 babies have been named Phineas in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Phineas most popular?

Phineas peaked in 2016, when 142 newborns received the name.

Is Phineas a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Phineas rising or falling?

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

Will Phineas become more popular?

Phineas is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 97 boys named Phineas 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 Phineas?

Well-known people named Phineas include Phineas Gage (celebrity).

Names like Phineas

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

Compare Phineas with similar names → More names starting with P →