Steele: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,185

among boys · ↑196 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

184

named Steele · +25% vs 2024

How common

1 in 9,817

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2025

184 babies

All-time total

3,191

#2,508 all-time among boys

First recorded

1920

in Social Security records

Steele popularity over time

3,191 babies have been named Steele since 1920, 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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	46	46	5	–	#2,742
1930s	–	18	18	2	-61%	#3,225
1940s	–	34	34	3	+89%	#2,778
1950s	–	55	55	6	+62%	#2,800
1960s	–	58	58	6	+5%	#2,434
1970s	–	36	36	4	-38%	#4,380
1980s	–	153	153	15	+325%	#2,630
1990s	–	356	356	36	+133%	#1,960
2000s	11	487	498	50	+40%	#1,991
2010s	70	1,018	1,088	109	+118%	#1,249
2020s (to 2025)	57	792	849	142	+30%	#1,185

Where Steele 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	183	0.11	outside top 500
2027	191	0.11	outside top 500
2028	198	0.12	outside top 500
2029	204	0.12	outside top 500
2030	209	0.12	outside top 500

Where Steele is most popular

Boys named Steele per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.079 per 1,000. Strongest in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Utah.

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 Steele 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
Louisiana	22	0.215	+171%
Oklahoma	15	0.170	+114%
Utah	16	0.168	+111%
Arizona	21	0.128	+62%
Ohio	26	0.098	+24%
Texas	86	0.098	+23%
Florida	45	0.095	+20%
Arkansas	6	0.095	+19%
Tennessee	17	0.094	+19%
Pennsylvania	24	0.090	+14%
North Carolina	22	0.086	+8%
Washington	11	0.067	-15%
Georgia	17	0.067	-16%
Missouri	5	0.036	-55%
Virginia	6	0.032	-60%
California	28	0.031	-61%
New York	5	0.012	-85%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
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 Steele

Steele is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,185 in 2025 with 174 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1920, 3,191 American babies have been named Steele. Its peak came in 2025, when 184 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 Steele stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Steele?

The median living Steele is about 11 years old; half are between 5 and 23. An estimated 3,100 people named Steele 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.

Steele 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	10	#10,024	174	#1,185
2024	10	#10,181	137	#1,381
2023	18	#6,643	143	#1,336
2022	8	#12,113	120	#1,515
2021	11	#9,473	112	#1,563
2020	–	–	106	#1,561
2019	12	#9,048	104	#1,604
2018	11	#9,737	133	#1,351
2017	14	#8,250	147	#1,249
2016	7	#14,170	134	#1,338
2015	11	#10,070	101	#1,597
2014	5	#18,891	94	#1,652
2013	–	–	89	#1,682
2012	5	#19,205	92	#1,674
2011	5	#19,229	71	#1,963
2010	–	–	53	#2,393
2009	–	–	54	#2,398
2008	–	–	51	#2,504
2007	–	–	53	#2,434
2006	–	–	51	#2,442
2005	5	#18,828	44	#2,559
2004	–	–	37	#2,837
2003	–	–	57	#2,028
2002	6	#15,166	46	#2,288
2001	–	–	42	#2,379
2000	–	–	52	#1,991
1995	–	–	34	#2,342
1990	–	–	25	#2,687
1985	–	–	11	#4,017
1980	–	–	11	#3,814
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	5	#5,347
1965	–	–	6	#3,878
1960	–	–	7	#3,621
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	8	#2,996
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	7	#3,225
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	7	#3,698
1920	–	–	11	#2,742
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Steele?

The median living Steele is about 11 years old. Half of all living Steeles are between 5 and 23 years old.

How many people named Steele are alive today?

An estimated 3,100 people named Steele are alive in the United States, based on 3,191 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Steele mean?

Steele is not a given name currently or in known history.PeopleSteele Bishop, Australian former track racing cyclist and world champion Steele Chambers, American football player Steele Hall (1928–2024), Australian politician, 36th

How popular is the name Steele in 2025?

Steele ranked #1,185 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 174 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Steele?

3,191 babies have been named Steele in the United States since 1920, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Steele most popular?

Steele peaked in 2025, when 184 newborns received the name.

Is Steele a boy or girl name?

Steele is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 96% of babies with the name.

Is the name Steele rising or falling?

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

Will Steele become more popular?

Steele is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 209 boys named Steele in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Steele

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

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