Asa
Boy name · #483 in 2025 · Distinctive
Asa is currently the #483 boy name in the United States — 622 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #530, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,894 boys born in 2025 was named Asa.
The 145-year story
Asa first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 60 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 685 babies and a rank of #450. 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.
Babies named Asa per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Asa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Asa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Asa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Asa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Asa is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Asa is most common in AR (0.9 per 1,000), TN (0.8 per 1,000), MO (0.8 per 1,000), KY (0.8 per 1,000), OR (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Asa is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Asa
Statistically, parents drawn to Asa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ari, Musa, Isa, Ali, and Avi.
AriMusaIsaAliAviHamzaAldenArmani
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Asa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 622 | #483 |
| 2024 | 651 | #473 |
| 2023 | 591 | #509 |
| 2022 | 685 | #450 |
| 2021 | 594 | #495 |
| 2020 | 574 | #506 |
| 2019 | 567 | #505 |
| 2018 | 566 | #506 |
| 2017 | 595 | #490 |
| 2016 | 575 | #517 |
| 2015 | 540 | #530 |
| 2014 | 544 | #515 |
| 2013 | 479 | #554 |
| 2012 | 461 | #563 |
| 2011 | 465 | #546 |
| 2010 | 432 | #582 |
| 2009 | 478 | #554 |
| 2008 | 386 | #636 |
| 2007 | 398 | #619 |
| 2006 | 380 | #624 |
| 2005 | 348 | #628 |
| 2004 | 301 | #672 |
| 2003 | 302 | #655 |
| 2002 | 276 | #671 |
| 2001 | 286 | #652 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Asa a popular boy name?
Asa ranked #483 among boys in 2025 with 622 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #530.
When was the name Asa most popular?
Asa peaked in 2022, when 685 American boys received the name (ranked #450 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Asa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,894 newborn American boys was named Asa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
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.