Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1961

Ward

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,877 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#2,877
among boys · ↑452 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
58
named Ward · +32% vs 2024
How common
1 in 38,820
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1961
341 babies
All-time total
15,124
#971 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ward popularity over time

15,124 babies have been named Ward 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 294 294 29 – #261
1890s – 378 378 38 +29% #243
1900s – 372 372 37 -2% #281
1910s 5 1,775 1,780 178 +378% #307
1920s 5 2,510 2,515 252 +41% #320
1930s – 1,697 1,697 170 -33% #380
1940s – 1,762 1,762 176 +4% #432
1950s 5 2,008 2,013 201 +14% #479
1960s – 2,240 2,240 224 +11% #432
1970s – 689 689 69 -69% #726
1980s – 347 347 35 -50% #1,431
1990s – 215 215 22 -38% #2,213
2000s – 159 159 16 -26% #4,055
2010s 50 312 362 36 +128% #2,622
2020s (to 2025) 33 268 301 50 +39% #2,559

Where Ward 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 45 0.03 outside top 500
2027 45 0.03 outside top 500
2028 46 0.03 outside top 500
2029 46 0.03 outside top 500
2030 47 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Ward

Ward is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,877 in 2025 with 44 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 15,124 American babies have been named Ward. Its peak came in 1961, when 341 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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

How old are people named Ward?

The median living Ward is about 63 years old; half are between 51 and 72. An estimated 6,500 people named Ward are alive in the United States today.

median 63 020406080100

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

Ward 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 14 #7,863 44 #2,877
2024 8 #12,084 36 #3,329
2023 6 #15,074 43 #2,945
2022 5 #17,610 54 #2,559
2021 – – 44 #2,859
2020 – – 47 #2,687
2019 13 #8,578 33 #3,489
2018 10 #10,510 40 #2,991
2017 9 #11,570 44 #2,795
2016 6 #16,122 48 #2,622
2015 12 #9,455 27 #3,978
2014 – – 30 #3,612
2013 – – 30 #3,575
2012 – – 25 #4,128
2011 – – 17 #5,416
2010 – – 18 #5,237
2009 – – 11 #7,663
2008 – – 20 #4,892
2007 – – 12 #7,058
2006 – – 19 #4,851
2005 – – 23 #4,055
2004 – – 10 #7,505
2003 – – 17 #4,810
2002 – – 14 #5,383
2001 – – 17 #4,663
2000 – – 16 #4,775
1995 – – 17 #3,842
1990 – – 33 #2,213
1985 – – 34 #1,792
1980 – – 45 #1,431
1975 – – 49 #1,226
1970 – – 129 #726
1965 – – 172 #583
1960 – – 283 #472
1955 – – 197 #521
1950 – – 167 #518
1945 – – 155 #483
1940 – – 142 #486
1935 – – 157 #455
1930 – – 223 #380
1925 – – 256 #372
1920 – – 286 #347
1915 – – 237 #348
1910 – – 50 #364
1905 – – 31 #382
1900 – – 43 #328
1895 – – 48 #260
1890 – – 37 #288
1885 – – 23 #378
1880 – – 30 #313

Famous people named Ward

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

  1. 1 Ward Bond Ward Bond American actor (1903–1960) Contemporary
  2. 2 Ward Cunningham Ward Cunningham American computer programmer (born 1949) Contemporary
  3. 3 Ward Kimball Ward Kimball American animator and jazz trombonist (1914–2002) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ward?

The median living Ward is about 63 years old. Half of all living Wards are between 51 and 72 years old.

How many people named Ward are alive today?

An estimated 6,500 people named Ward are alive in the United States, based on 15,124 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Ward in 2025?

Ward ranked #2,877 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 44 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ward?

15,124 babies have been named Ward in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ward most popular?

Ward peaked in 1961, when 341 newborns received the name.

Is Ward a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Ward rising or falling?

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

Will Ward become more popular?

Ward is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 47 boys named Ward 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 Ward?

Well-known people named Ward include Ward Bond (actor), Ward Cunningham (computer scientist), Ward Kimball (film director).

Names like Ward

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

Compare Ward with similar names → More names starting with W →