Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2000

Syed

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,221 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#1,221
among boys · ↑408 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
166
named Syed · +58% vs 2024
How common
1 in 10,290
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2000
224 babies
All-time total
6,043
#1,583 all-time among boys
First recorded
1965
in Social Security records

Syed popularity over time

6,043 babies have been named Syed since 1965, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 25 25 3 – #3,508
1970s – 222 222 22 +788% #1,462
1980s – 608 608 61 +174% #1,107
1990s 6 1,316 1,322 132 +117% #871
2000s 5 1,603 1,608 161 +22% #754
2010s – 1,440 1,440 144 -10% #1,160
2020s (to 2025) – 818 818 136 -5% #1,221

Where Syed 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 168 0.10 outside top 500
2027 171 0.10 outside top 500
2028 172 0.10 outside top 500
2029 174 0.10 outside top 500
2030 175 0.10 outside top 500

Where Syed is most popular

Boys named Syed per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.079 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, Illinois, and Virginia.

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 Syed 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
New York 143 0.330 +317%
Illinois 75 0.293 +271%
Virginia 45 0.237 +199%
New Jersey 45 0.224 +182%
Texas 135 0.153 +93%
Michigan 21 0.103 +29%
Connecticut 6 0.089 +12%
Georgia 16 0.063 -20%
California 40 0.044 -45%
Maryland 5 0.042 -47%
Massachusetts 5 0.036 -54%
Florida 10 0.021 -73%
Pennsylvania 5 0.019 -76%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
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 Syed

Syed is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,221 in 2025 with 166 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1965, 6,043 American babies have been named Syed. Its peak came in 2000, when 224 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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

How old are people named Syed?

The median living Syed is about 21 years old; half are between 10 and 30. An estimated 5,900 people named Syed are alive in the United States today.

median 21 020406080100

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

Syed 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 – – 166 #1,221
2024 – – 105 #1,629
2023 – – 145 #1,321
2022 – – 141 #1,339
2021 – – 127 #1,432
2020 – – 134 #1,339
2019 – – 126 #1,406
2018 – – 137 #1,327
2017 – – 148 #1,244
2016 – – 157 #1,207
2015 – – 160 #1,166
2014 – – 139 #1,284
2013 – – 156 #1,160
2012 – – 140 #1,264
2011 – – 130 #1,316
2010 – – 147 #1,213
2009 – – 137 #1,288
2008 – – 156 #1,164
2007 – – 156 #1,147
2006 – – 141 #1,193
2005 – – 135 #1,190
2004 5 #18,487 141 #1,127
2003 – – 178 #925
2002 – – 168 #958
2001 – – 167 #935
2000 – – 224 #754
1995 – – 157 #871
1990 – – 90 #1,148
1985 – – 62 #1,209
1980 – – 44 #1,446
1975 – – 17 #2,527
1970 – – 9 #3,489
1965 – – 7 #3,508
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Syed

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

  1. 1 Syed Ahmad Khan Syed Ahmad Khan Indian reformer and social activist (1817–1898) 19th century
  2. 2 Syed Kamall Syed Kamall British politician (born 1967) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Syed?

The median living Syed is about 21 years old. Half of all living Syeds are between 10 and 30 years old.

How many people named Syed are alive today?

An estimated 5,900 people named Syed are alive in the United States, based on 6,043 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Syed in 2025?

Syed ranked #1,221 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 166 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Syed?

6,043 babies have been named Syed in the United States since 1965, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Syed most popular?

Syed peaked in 2000, when 224 newborns received the name.

Is Syed a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Syed rising or falling?

Syed has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Syed become more popular?

Syed looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 175 boys named Syed in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Syed?

Well-known people named Syed include Syed Ahmad Khan (social activist), Syed Kamall (politician).

Names like Syed

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

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