Smith: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,483

among boys · ↑104 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

128

named Smith · +9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 14,234

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2016

174 babies

All-time total

5,664

#1,689 all-time among boys

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Smith popularity over time

5,664 babies have been named Smith 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

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	–	181	181	18	–	#326
1890s	–	143	143	14	-21%	#413
1900s	–	168	168	17	+17%	#454
1910s	–	481	481	48	+186%	#520
1920s	–	559	559	56	+16%	#770
1930s	–	376	376	38	-33%	#912
1940s	–	277	277	28	-26%	#1,073
1950s	–	199	199	20	-28%	#1,451
1960s	–	164	164	16	-18%	#1,615
1970s	5	131	136	14	-17%	#2,108
1980s	20	220	240	24	+76%	#2,074
1990s	5	204	209	21	-13%	#2,550
2000s	19	394	413	41	+98%	#2,257
2010s	92	1,259	1,351	135	+227%	#1,178
2020s (to 2025)	48	719	767	128	-5%	#1,319

Where Smith 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	117	0.07	outside top 500
2027	115	0.07	outside top 500
2028	113	0.07	outside top 500
2029	112	0.07	outside top 500
2030	111	0.06	outside top 500

Where Smith is most popular

Boys named Smith per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.069 per 1,000. Strongest in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

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 Smith 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
North Carolina	52	0.204	+195%
South Carolina	19	0.184	+166%
Georgia	45	0.178	+157%
Alabama	19	0.174	+152%
Tennessee	25	0.138	+101%
Michigan	25	0.122	+77%
Utah	11	0.115	+67%
California	48	0.053	-24%
Texas	44	0.050	-28%
Indiana	8	0.050	-28%
Florida	22	0.046	-33%
New York	19	0.044	-36%
Colorado	5	0.039	-44%
Illinois	6	0.023	-66%
Ohio	6	0.023	-67%
Alaska	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
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 Smith

Smith is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,483 in 2025 with 120 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 5,664 American babies have been named Smith. Its peak came in 2016, when 174 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 Smith stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Smith?

The median living Smith is about 12 years old; half are between 6 and 32. An estimated 3,600 people named Smith 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.

Smith 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	8	#11,798	120	#1,483
2024	8	#12,016	109	#1,587
2023	6	#14,944	113	#1,555
2022	13	#8,471	112	#1,587
2021	6	#15,019	142	#1,319
2020	7	#13,303	123	#1,412
2019	10	#10,384	149	#1,263
2018	16	#7,375	134	#1,346
2017	14	#8,244	154	#1,205
2016	12	#9,352	162	#1,178
2015	11	#10,064	156	#1,187
2014	6	#16,254	139	#1,283
2013	8	#13,009	122	#1,385
2012	9	#12,094	89	#1,708
2011	6	#16,509	76	#1,861
2010	–	–	78	#1,866
2009	9	#12,318	47	#2,653
2008	–	–	59	#2,257
2007	5	#20,153	57	#2,297
2006	–	–	41	#2,821
2005	5	#18,802	45	#2,523
2004	–	–	43	#2,566
2003	–	–	24	#3,711
2002	–	–	22	#3,895
2001	–	–	30	#3,052
2000	–	–	26	#3,288
1995	–	–	21	#3,286
1990	–	–	15	#3,941
1985	6	#10,502	19	#2,698
1980	–	–	12	#3,586
1975	–	–	10	#3,629
1970	–	–	12	#2,871
1965	–	–	12	#2,453
1960	–	–	26	#1,615
1955	–	–	20	#1,784
1950	–	–	21	#1,651
1945	–	–	24	#1,373
1940	–	–	32	#1,205
1935	–	–	45	#952
1930	–	–	38	#1,149
1925	–	–	51	#954
1920	–	–	69	#811
1915	–	–	60	#784
1910	–	–	30	#520
1905	–	–	13	#695
1900	–	–	26	#454
1895	–	–	16	#525
1890	–	–	15	#508
1885	–	–	28	#326
1880	–	–	15	#477

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Smith?

The median living Smith is about 12 years old. Half of all living Smiths are between 6 and 32 years old.

How many people named Smith are alive today?

An estimated 3,600 people named Smith are alive in the United States, based on 5,664 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Smith mean?

Smith is a male given name, derived from the similarly named surname.

How popular is the name Smith in 2025?

Smith ranked #1,483 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 120 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Smith?

5,664 babies have been named Smith in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Smith most popular?

Smith peaked in 2016, when 174 newborns received the name.

Is Smith a boy or girl name?

Smith is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Smith rising or falling?

Smith has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Smith become more popular?

Smith is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 111 boys named Smith in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Smith

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

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