Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2020

Rye

Gender Unisex · 13% girls Rank 2025 #2,531 Trend ↓ Falling 15%
Rank 2025
#2,531
among boys · ↓91 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
64
named Rye · +12% vs 2024
How common
1 in 32,228
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2020
86 babies
All-time total
1,236
#4,909 all-time among boys
First recorded
1971
in Social Security records

Rye popularity over time

1,236 babies have been named Rye since 1971, 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
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 47 47 5 – #3,768
1980s – 42 42 4 -11% #5,363
1990s – 56 56 6 +33% #5,729
2000s 15 161 176 18 +214% #4,254
2010s 78 407 485 49 +176% #2,187
2020s (to 2025) 73 357 430 72 +48% #1,934

Where Rye 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 52 0.03 outside top 500
2027 51 0.03 outside top 500
2028 50 0.03 outside top 500
2029 50 0.03 outside top 500
2030 49 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Rye

Rye is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,531 in 2025 with 53 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1971, 1,236 American babies have been named Rye, about 87% boys and 13% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2020, when 86 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 Rye stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rye?

The median living Rye is about 8 years old; half are between 4 and 16. An estimated 1,200 people named Rye 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.

Rye 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 11 #9,351 53 #2,531
2024 – – 57 #2,440
2023 15 #7,574 56 #2,431
2022 19 #6,421 61 #2,345
2021 18 #6,634 54 #2,488
2020 10 #10,132 76 #1,934
2019 11 #9,632 62 #2,256
2018 15 #7,701 64 #2,187
2017 8 #12,531 34 #3,366
2016 8 #12,678 46 #2,682
2015 8 #12,795 40 #2,950
2014 9 #11,769 31 #3,517
2013 5 #18,777 30 #3,565
2012 5 #19,016 43 #2,807
2011 – – 29 #3,680
2010 9 #12,074 28 #3,788
2009 – – 24 #4,254
2008 10 #11,441 14 #6,336
2007 5 #19,947 20 #4,765
2006 – – 22 #4,341
2005 – – 20 #4,430
2004 – – 16 #5,197
2003 – – 12 #6,182
2002 – – 7 #9,195
2001 – – 15 #5,087
2000 – – 11 #6,229
1995 – – 5 #10,024
1990 – – 9 #5,729
1985 – – 6 #6,382
1980 – – 7 #5,409
1975 – – 5 #6,165
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 Rye, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rye?

The median living Rye is about 8 years old. Half of all living Ryes are between 4 and 16 years old.

How many people named Rye are alive today?

An estimated 1,200 people named Rye are alive in the United States, based on 1,236 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Rye in 2025?

Rye ranked #2,531 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 53 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rye?

1,236 babies have been named Rye in the United States since 1971, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rye most popular?

Rye peaked in 2020, when 86 newborns received the name.

Is Rye a boy or girl name?

Rye is used for both: about 13% of babies named Rye have been girls and 87% boys.

Is the name Rye rising or falling?

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

Will Rye become more popular?

Rye is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 49 boys named Rye in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Rye

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

Compare Rye with similar names → More names starting with R →