Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1954

Stanley

Meaning stone Gender Boy Rank 2025 #863 Trend ↓ Falling 15%

From places in England, Old English stān (“stone”) + lēah (“meadow”).

Rank 2025
#863
among boys · ↑7 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
278
named Stanley
How common
1 in 6,144
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1954
6,472 babies
All-time total
302,862
#121 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Stanley popularity over time

302,862 babies have been named Stanley 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
1.883.755.637.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 997 997 100 – #108
1890s – 2,297 2,297 230 +130% #71
1900s 29 4,156 4,185 419 +82% #50
1910s 140 35,908 36,048 3,605 +761% #34
1920s 304 49,456 49,760 4,976 +38% #40
1930s 191 37,130 37,321 3,732 -25% #49
1940s 191 46,263 46,454 4,645 +24% #54
1950s 202 57,164 57,366 5,737 +23% #54
1960s 180 30,005 30,185 3,019 -47% #100
1970s 108 13,214 13,322 1,332 -56% #157
1980s 86 9,211 9,297 930 -30% #221
1990s 6 6,124 6,130 613 -34% #313
2000s – 4,127 4,127 413 -33% #490
2010s – 3,541 3,541 354 -14% #677
2020s (to 2025) – 1,832 1,832 305 -14% #735

Where Stanley 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 271 0.16 outside top 500
2027 265 0.16 outside top 500
2028 260 0.15 outside top 500
2029 256 0.15 outside top 500
2030 252 0.15 outside top 500

Where Stanley is most popular

Boys named Stanley per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.173 per 1,000. Strongest in Michigan, Minnesota, and Maryland.

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 Stanley 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
Michigan 74 0.361 +108%
Minnesota 42 0.342 +98%
Maryland 39 0.327 +89%
Wisconsin 38 0.321 +85%
Idaho 12 0.293 +69%
Colorado 37 0.287 +65%
Washington 45 0.275 +59%
Pennsylvania 68 0.256 +48%
Missouri 35 0.253 +46%
Massachusetts 34 0.247 +43%
Illinois 61 0.239 +38%
New York 96 0.222 +28%
Ohio 58 0.219 +26%
Tennessee 39 0.216 +25%
Florida 98 0.207 +19%
Utah 19 0.199 +15%
Indiana 30 0.187 +8%
New Jersey 37 0.184 +6%
Virginia 30 0.158 -9%
Oregon 12 0.158 -9%
Georgia 37 0.146 -16%
California 125 0.137 -21%
Kentucky 13 0.130 -25%
North Carolina 33 0.129 -25%
South Carolina 13 0.126 -27%
Louisiana 12 0.117 -32%
Arizona 18 0.110 -37%
Texas 88 0.100 -42%
Iowa 6 0.087 -50%
Alabama 7 0.064 -63%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Kansas – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Stanley

Stanley is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #863 in 2025 with 278 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 302,862 American babies have been named Stanley. Its peak came in 1954, when 6,472 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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

How old are people named Stanley?

The median living Stanley is about 67 years old; half are between 54 and 75. An estimated 133 thousand people named Stanley are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

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

Stanley 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 – – 278 #863
2024 – – 278 #870
2023 – – 304 #808
2022 – – 325 #780
2021 – – 312 #790
2020 – – 335 #735
2019 – – 377 #681
2018 – – 344 #708
2017 – – 351 #703
2016 – – 367 #683
2015 – – 365 #692
2014 – – 372 #681
2013 – – 355 #680
2012 – – 315 #737
2011 – – 348 #677
2010 – – 347 #683
2009 – – 359 #679
2008 – – 370 #657
2007 – – 398 #620
2006 – – 404 #601
2005 – – 410 #569
2004 – – 413 #556
2003 – – 405 #553
2002 – – 472 #490
2001 – – 443 #513
2000 – – 453 #505
1995 – – 562 #406
1990 6 #12,753 809 #313
1985 5 #12,254 920 #247
1980 11 #6,267 1,096 #221
1975 12 #5,120 1,169 #194
1970 15 #4,016 1,949 #157
1965 14 #3,519 2,819 #115
1960 20 #2,811 4,221 #100
1955 19 #2,625 6,050 #64
1950 13 #3,036 5,453 #60
1945 15 #2,331 4,058 #59
1940 10 #2,934 3,694 #59
1935 11 #2,712 3,696 #56
1930 32 #1,364 4,383 #49
1925 25 #1,741 5,030 #40
1920 19 #2,065 5,314 #40
1915 17 #1,951 4,807 #34
1910 5 #2,742 761 #47
1905 – – 384 #66
1900 7 #1,707 342 #77
1895 – – 233 #83
1890 – – 223 #78
1885 – – 97 #140
1880 – – 65 #191

Famous people named Stanley

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

  1. 1 Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci American actor and author (born 1960) Contemporary
  2. 2 Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick American filmmaker and photographer (1928–1999) Contemporary
  3. 3 Stanley Williams Stanley Williams Co-founder of the Crips gang (1953–2005) Contemporary
  4. 4 Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin British statesman (1867–1947) 19th century
  5. 5 Stanley Matthews Stanley Matthews English footballer (1915–2000) Contemporary
  6. 6 Stanley A. McChrystal Stanley A. McChrystal US Army general (born 1954) Contemporary
  7. 7 Stanley Ho Stanley Ho Macau businessman (1921–2020) Contemporary
  8. 8 Stanley Baker Stanley Baker Welsh actor and film producer (1928–1976) Contemporary
  9. 9 Stanley Donen Stanley Donen American film director and choreographer (1924–2019) Contemporary
  10. 10 Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke American bassist (born 1951) Contemporary
  11. 11 Stanley Kramer Stanley Kramer American film director and producer (1913–2001) Contemporary
  12. 12 Stanley Holloway Stanley Holloway British actor, singer and comedian (1890–1982) 19th century
  13. 13 Stanley Kamel Stanley Kamel American actor (1943–2008) Contemporary
  14. 14 Stanley Rous Stanley Rous 6th President of FIFA (1895–1986) 19th century
  15. 15 Stanley Milgram Stanley Milgram American social psychologist (1933-1984) Contemporary
  16. 16 Stanley Fischer Stanley Fischer American and Israeli economist (1943–2025) Contemporary
  17. 17 Stanley Turrentine Stanley Turrentine American jazz saxophonist and record producer (1934–2000) Contemporary
  18. 18 Stanley Bruce Stanley Bruce Prime Minister of Australia from 1923 to 1929 1883–1967 · 19th century
  19. 19 Stanley Menzo Stanley Menzo Dutch footballer and manager b. 1963 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Stanley Cavell Stanley Cavell American philosopher (1926–2018) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Stanley?

The median living Stanley is about 67 years old. Half of all living Stanleys are between 54 and 75 years old.

How many people named Stanley are alive today?

An estimated 133 thousand people named Stanley are alive in the United States, based on 302,862 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Stanley mean?

From places in England, Old English stān (“stone”) + lēah (“meadow”).

How popular is the name Stanley in 2025?

Stanley ranked #863 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 278 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Stanley?

302,862 babies have been named Stanley in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Stanley most popular?

Stanley peaked in 1954, when 6,472 newborns received the name.

Is Stanley a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Stanley rising or falling?

Stanley has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Stanley become more popular?

Stanley is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 252 boys named Stanley 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 Stanley?

Well-known people named Stanley include Stanley Tucci (actor), Stanley Kubrick (film director), Stanley Williams (extremist).

Names like Stanley

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

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