What the library covers
The catalogue contains 52,733 spellings with at least one published observation in the available data. 28,634 have published 2025 observations. The complete library provides 2016–2025 history; twelve original profile names have an extended 1996–2025 series.
How we select public profiles
The 204 public popularity profiles combine the current top 100 names in each recorded-sex category with the original twelve: Avery, Rowan, Quinn, Nora, Vera, Clara, Hazel, Maeve, Milo, Arlo, Theo, Elodie. A spelling appearing in both categories has one profile. Other catalogue names remain searchable in the name library. We do not create separate pages for every filter or wording of a question.
Counts, rank and recorded sex
Counts are the published national observations in each annual file. Female and male identify the SSA recorded-sex categories, not gender identity. Rank is a one-based position within its category in that year’s source file; equal counts retain the source file’s ordering. Do not add a name’s two category ranks together.
Missing observations and exact spellings
The national files do not publish counts below five. A missing name/category/year is unavailable, not zero. Charts leave gaps and tables use a dash. Alternate spellings are counted separately; we do not merge them, infer origins or meanings, or convert US observations into global popularity.
How trends are calculated
The short year-to-year answer compares 2025 with 2024 in the recorded-sex category with the larger current count. It gives the count difference and both ranks separately. A lower rank number means a higher position among names, but count and rank can move in different directions. This is an observed comparison, not a prediction.
Reproduce a profile
Every profile provides its annual observations as CSV, with name, year, recorded_sex, count and rank columns. Missing observations have no row. The official archive was retrieved on . The archive SHA-256 is cd78e975ed7bb358e018dd62fbe14ced89295e9581c49172ca4eedcb011b3724. These downloads are Little Names’ derived extracts, not an SSA endorsement.
Limits of national popularity
These files reflect US Social Security card applications and published records. National ranks do not tell you a name’s pronunciation, meaning, cultural suitability, regional frequency or likelihood of appearing in a particular class. Recent counts can also change when the SSA updates its source files. Always check the year and geography when comparing sources.
Sources and maintenance
Official SSA national archive · Background and methodology · SSA data limitations
Little Names transforms the published observations into tables, charts and downloads. Source year and retrieval date are shown on every profile. The current source is through 2025; there is no live or daily feed. New source releases require import validation before these figures change.