Ames
Boy name · #1758 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 92 baby boys were named Ames, placing it at #1758 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2457, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 19,565 boys born in 2025 was named Ames.
Babies named Ames per year. Source: SSA.
The 112-year story
Ames first appears in the Social Security records in 1913, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 93 babies and a rank of #1754. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ames against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ames in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ames is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ames will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ames is most common
State-level data for Ames is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Ames
Statistically, parents drawn to Ames tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Stiles, Akai, Alias, Hermes, and Aris.
StilesAkaiAliasHermesArisAxleMarsAras
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ames | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92 | #1753 |
| 2024 | 76 | #2012 |
| 2023 | 93 | #1754 |
| 2022 | 71 | #2094 |
| 2021 | 89 | #1784 |
| 2020 | 92 | #1694 |
| 2019 | 69 | #2081 |
| 2018 | 70 | #2046 |
| 2017 | 69 | #2032 |
| 2016 | 87 | #1763 |
| 2015 | 51 | #2457 |
| 2014 | 42 | #2805 |
| 2013 | 38 | #2955 |
| 2012 | 56 | #2292 |
| 2011 | 31 | #3434 |
| 2010 | 13 | #6359 |
| 2009 | 9 | #8310 |
| 2008 | 15 | #5767 |
| 2007 | 6 | #10921 |
| 2006 | 6 | #10662 |
| 2004 | 7 | #8927 |
| 2000 | 11 | #5920 |
| 1993 | 5 | #8700 |
| 1990 | 6 | #7178 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3446 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ames a popular boy name?
Ames ranked #1758 among boys in 2025 with 92 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2457.
When was the name Ames most popular?
Ames peaked in 2023, when 93 American boys received the name (ranked #1754 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Ames?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 19,565 newborn American boys was named Ames. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.