Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1958

Ted

Meaning Shortened form of Edward, Theodore, Thaddeus or Edmund Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,229 Trend → Stable

Shortened form of Edward, Theodore, Thaddeus or Edmund.

Rank 2025
#3,229
among boys · ↓323 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
37
named Ted · -16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 46,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1958
1,748 babies
All-time total
75,424
#387 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ted popularity over time

75,424 babies have been named Ted 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
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 143 143 14 – #358
1890s – 247 247 25 +73% #305
1900s 5 942 947 95 +283% #170
1910s 37 3,514 3,551 355 +275% #204
1920s 85 6,842 6,927 693 +95% #167
1930s 49 10,526 10,575 1,058 +53% #144
1940s 25 13,027 13,052 1,305 +23% #155
1950s 20 14,719 14,739 1,474 +13% #170
1960s 25 13,540 13,565 1,357 -8% #180
1970s 12 5,450 5,462 546 -60% #246
1980s 6 3,012 3,018 302 -45% #430
1990s – 1,586 1,586 159 -47% #644
2000s – 764 764 76 -52% #1,325
2010s – 610 610 61 -20% #1,814
2020s (to 2025) – 238 238 40 -35% #2,906

Where Ted 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 36 0.02 outside top 500
2027 36 0.02 outside top 500
2028 35 0.02 outside top 500
2029 35 0.02 outside top 500
2030 35 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Ted

Ted is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,229 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 75,424 American babies have been named Ted. Its peak came in 1958, when 1,748 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 Ted stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ted?

The median living Ted is about 64 years old; half are between 55 and 73. An estimated 42 thousand people named Ted are alive in the United States today.

median 64 020406080100

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

Ted 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 – – 37 #3,229
2024 – – 44 #2,906
2023 – – 43 #2,943
2022 – – 41 #3,048
2021 – – 38 #3,172
2020 – – 35 #3,261
2019 – – 55 #2,461
2018 – – 49 #2,613
2017 – – 56 #2,340
2016 – – 56 #2,363
2015 – – 48 #2,598
2014 – – 59 #2,272
2013 – – 73 #1,930
2012 – – 67 #2,064
2011 – – 66 #2,052
2010 – – 81 #1,814
2009 – – 53 #2,445
2008 – – 75 #1,930
2007 – – 61 #2,208
2006 – – 59 #2,204
2005 – – 75 #1,769
2004 – – 72 #1,760
2003 – – 74 #1,684
2002 – – 99 #1,343
2001 – – 99 #1,325
2000 – – 97 #1,333
1995 – – 150 #895
1990 – – 249 #644
1985 – – 267 #532
1980 6 #10,269 364 #430
1975 – – 455 #364
1970 – – 944 #246
1965 – – 1,243 #201
1960 – – 1,695 #184
1955 – – 1,409 #188
1950 – – 1,355 #170
1945 – – 1,238 #155
1940 – – 1,047 #159
1935 6 #4,155 1,085 #144
1930 6 #4,506 983 #156
1925 – – 670 #209
1920 7 #4,342 545 #231
1915 – – 403 #241
1910 – – 127 #204
1905 5 #2,200 115 #170
1900 – – 75 #234
1895 – – 24 #398
1890 – – 20 #414
1885 – – 10 #635
1880 – – 13 #521

Famous people named Ted

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

  1. 1 Ted Bundy Ted Bundy American serial killer (1946–1989) Contemporary
  2. 2 Ted Kaczynski Ted Kaczynski American domestic terrorist (1942–2023) Contemporary
  3. 3 Ted Turner Ted Turner American media mogul (1938–2026) Contemporary
  4. 4 Ted Danson Ted Danson American actor (born 1947) Contemporary
  5. 5 Ted Kennedy Ted Kennedy American lawyer and politician (1932–2009) Contemporary
  6. 6 Ted Cruz Ted Cruz American politician and attorney (born 1970) Contemporary
  7. 7 Ted Levine Ted Levine American actor (born 1957) Contemporary
  8. 8 Ted McGinley Ted McGinley American actor (born 1958) Contemporary
  9. 9 Ted Nugent Ted Nugent American rock musician (born 1948) Contemporary
  10. 10 Ted Williams Ted Williams American baseball player (1918–2002) Contemporary
  11. 11 Ted Cassidy Ted Cassidy American actor (1932–1979) Contemporary
  12. 12 Ted Hughes Ted Hughes English poet and children's writer (1930–1998) Contemporary
  13. 13 Ted DiBiase Ted DiBiase American professional wrestler (born 1954) Contemporary
  14. 14 Ted Raimi Ted Raimi American actor (born 1965) Contemporary
  15. 15 Ted Chiang Ted Chiang American science fiction writer (born 1967) Contemporary
  16. 16 Ted Neeley Ted Neeley American singer, actor, producer (born 1943) Contemporary
  17. 17 Ted Lange Ted Lange American actor, director and screenwriter (born 1948) Contemporary
  18. 18 Ted Stevens Ted Stevens American politician (1923–2010) Contemporary
  19. 19 Ted Kotcheff Ted Kotcheff Canadian film and television director (1931–2025) Contemporary
  20. 20 Ted Sorensen Ted Sorensen American lawyer and presidential adviser (1928–2010) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ted?

The median living Ted is about 64 years old. Half of all living Teds are between 55 and 73 years old.

How many people named Ted are alive today?

An estimated 42 thousand people named Ted are alive in the United States, based on 75,424 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ted mean?

Shortened form of Edward, Theodore, Thaddeus or Edmund.

How popular is the name Ted in 2025?

Ted ranked #3,229 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ted?

75,424 babies have been named Ted in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ted most popular?

Ted peaked in 1958, when 1,748 newborns received the name.

Is Ted a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Ted rising or falling?

Ted is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Ted become more popular?

Ted is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 35 boys named Ted 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 Ted?

Well-known people named Ted include Ted Bundy (extremist), Ted Kaczynski (extremist), Ted Turner (businessperson).

Names like Ted

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

Compare Ted with similar names → More names starting with T →