Use SSA data to answer “How many U.S. babies received this name?” Use Nameberry to explore names its readers are searching for now. The two rankings measure different things, so a name can be high on one list and lower on the other.
| Compare | Social Security Administration (SSA) | Nameberry |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Names from Social Security card applications for U.S. births, ranked by recorded frequency. | Names most loved or viewed by Nameberry readers on its site and app. |
| Best for | Official U.S. popularity by year, state and historical period. | Finding ideas, meanings, styles and current reader interest. |
| How often it updates | Annual birth-name release. | Nameberry says its popularity list updates monthly. |
| What the rank cannot tell you | How often the name appears outside the published data or how it feels in your community. | How many babies received the name in the United States. |
Why the lists disagree
The SSA counts names in its application records and publishes annual rankings. Its data have limits: spelling variants remain separate, and the national list covers U.S. births in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Nameberry's list reflects activity among people using its site and app, which can surface names before they appear near the top of a national birth list.
Use Nameberry to discover possibilities, then use the SSA archive and its data notes to check historical U.S. usage. Name Scout adds state and decade views from the underlying public data, so you can see whether a name is steady, rising or returning.
Which source should guide your shortlist?
Neither ranking chooses a name for you. If avoiding a common name matters, compare SSA counts and local state data. If you want fresh ideas, start with Nameberry's lists and check each favourite against the SSA history before deciding.