Slate: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,712

among boys · ↑675 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Slate · +37% vs 2024

How common

1 in 35,585

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2018

56 babies

All-time total

863

#5,637 all-time among boys

First recorded

1990

in Social Security records

Slate popularity over time

863 babies have been named Slate since 1990, 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

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	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	59	6	–	#5,599
2000s	165	17	+180%	#3,812
2010s	379	38	+130%	#2,381
2020s (to 2025)	260	43	+14%	#2,712

Where Slate 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	47	0.03	outside top 500
2027	46	0.03	outside top 500
2028	45	0.03	outside top 500
2029	45	0.03	outside top 500
2030	44	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Slate

Slate is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,712 in 2025 with 48 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1990, 863 American babies have been named Slate. Its peak came in 2018, when 56 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 Slate stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Slate?

The median living Slate is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 16. An estimated 900 people named Slate are alive in the United States today.

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

Slate year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	48	#2,712
2024	35	#3,387
2023	48	#2,726
2022	43	#2,955
2021	45	#2,813
2020	41	#2,918
2019	55	#2,460
2018	56	#2,381
2017	40	#2,999
2016	44	#2,764
2015	34	#3,355
2014	36	#3,148
2013	37	#3,049
2012	36	#3,164
2011	23	#4,334
2010	18	#5,217
2009	28	#3,812
2008	22	#4,517
2007	15	#5,867
2006	22	#4,348
2005	17	#5,007
2004	14	#5,750
2003	15	#5,232
2002	13	#5,675
2001	7	#9,097
2000	12	#5,857
1995	6	#8,731
1990	5	#9,317
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 Slate, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Slate?

The median living Slate is about 9 years old. Half of all living Slates are between 4 and 16 years old.

How many people named Slate are alive today?

An estimated 900 people named Slate are alive in the United States, based on 863 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Slate in 2025?

Slate ranked #2,712 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 48 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Slate?

863 babies have been named Slate in the United States since 1990, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Slate most popular?

Slate peaked in 2018, when 56 newborns received the name.

Is Slate a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Slate rising or falling?

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

Will Slate become more popular?

Slate is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 44 boys named Slate in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Slate

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

Compare Slate with similar names → More names starting with S →