Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Townsend

Meaning hamlet, village Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #3,305 Trend ↑ Rising 43%

From town +‎ -s- +‎ end. From Middle English toun (“hamlet, village”) + ende (“end”), referring to a dweller at the outskirts of a village.

Rank 2025
#3,305
among boys · ↑759 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
41
named Townsend · +52% vs 2024
How common
1 in 47,447
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
41 babies
All-time total
882
#5,603 all-time among boys
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Townsend popularity over time

882 babies have been named Townsend since 1914, 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
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 51 51 5 – #2,253
1920s – 70 70 7 +37% #2,397
1930s – 60 60 6 -14% #2,253
1940s – 49 49 5 -18% #2,467
1950s – 52 52 5 +6% #2,433
1960s – 28 28 3 -46% #3,024
1970s – 12 12 1 -57% #5,719
1980s – 44 44 4 +267% #4,818
1990s – 63 63 6 +43% #5,779
2000s – 94 94 9 +49% #5,779
2010s – 190 190 19 +102% #3,992
2020s (to 2025) 11 158 169 28 +48% #3,305

Where Townsend 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 38 0.02 outside top 500
2027 40 0.02 outside top 500
2028 42 0.02 outside top 500
2029 44 0.03 outside top 500
2030 45 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Townsend

Townsend is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,305 in 2025 with 36 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1914, 882 American babies have been named Townsend. Its peak came in 2025, when 41 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 Townsend stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Townsend?

The median living Townsend is about 14 years old; half are between 5 and 34. An estimated 700 people named Townsend are alive in the United States today.

median 14 020406080100

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

Townsend 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 5 #17,068 36 #3,305
2024 – – 27 #4,064
2023 6 #15,031 23 #4,598
2022 – – 27 #4,077
2021 – – 30 #3,728
2020 – – 15 #5,954
2019 – – 27 #3,992
2018 – – 20 #4,904
2017 – – 12 #7,061
2016 – – 19 #5,109
2015 – – 18 #5,269
2014 – – 17 #5,465
2013 – – 24 #4,172
2012 – – 15 #5,968
2011 – – 21 #4,641
2010 – – 17 #5,450
2009 – – 16 #5,779
2008 – – 12 #7,149
2007 – – 14 #6,241
2006 – – 13 #6,429
2005 – – 10 #7,596
2004 – – 8 #8,846
2003 – – 8 #8,569
2002 – – 5 #12,339
2001 – – 8 #8,262
2000 – – – –
1995 – – 9 #6,362
1990 – – 9 #5,779
1985 – – 8 #5,114
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – 7 #3,517
1960 – – 7 #3,640
1955 – – – –
1950 – – 7 #3,302
1945 – – 5 #3,743
1940 – – 10 #2,467
1935 – – 6 #3,612
1930 – – 9 #3,000
1925 – – 6 #4,156
1920 – – – –
1915 – – 5 #4,340
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Townsend?

The median living Townsend is about 14 years old. Half of all living Townsends are between 5 and 34 years old.

How many people named Townsend are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Townsend are alive in the United States, based on 882 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Townsend mean?

From town +‎ -s- +‎ end. From Middle English toun (“hamlet, village”) + ende (“end”), referring to a dweller at the outskirts of a village.

How popular is the name Townsend in 2025?

Townsend ranked #3,305 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 36 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Townsend?

882 babies have been named Townsend in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Townsend most popular?

Townsend peaked in 2025, when 41 newborns received the name.

Is Townsend a boy or girl name?

Townsend is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Townsend rising or falling?

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

Will Townsend become more popular?

Townsend is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 45 boys named Townsend in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Townsend

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

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