Booker
Boy name · #1160 in 2025 · Uniqueness 38/100
Booker ranks #1160 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 180 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2386, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,000 boys born in 2025 was named Booker.
Babies named Booker per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 143-year story
Booker first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1916, when 294 boys were named Booker — good for #303 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Booker against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Booker in class?
Booker scores 38 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Booker is most common
Geography matters for names, and Booker is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Bookers were AZ (13), CA (11), OH (11), TX (10), KY (9). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Booker
Statistically, parents drawn to Booker tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Warner, Meyer, Ollie, Monroe, and Hollis.
WarnerMeyerOllieMonroeHollisCasimirSylvanEinar
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Booker | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 180 | #1159 |
| 2024 | 152 | #1290 |
| 2023 | 179 | #1161 |
| 2022 | 171 | #1186 |
| 2021 | 160 | #1207 |
| 2020 | 96 | #1655 |
| 2019 | 92 | #1713 |
| 2018 | 82 | #1838 |
| 2017 | 84 | #1804 |
| 2016 | 59 | #2255 |
| 2015 | 54 | #2386 |
| 2014 | 47 | #2582 |
| 2013 | 43 | #2715 |
| 2012 | 39 | #2954 |
| 2011 | 22 | #4356 |
| 2010 | 30 | #3531 |
| 2009 | 24 | #4160 |
| 2008 | 21 | #4540 |
| 2007 | 21 | #4493 |
| 2006 | 23 | #4105 |
| 2005 | 19 | #4464 |
| 2004 | 14 | #5492 |
| 2003 | 18 | #4426 |
| 2002 | 13 | #5395 |
| 2001 | 17 | #4476 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Booker a popular boy name?
Booker ranked #1160 among boys in 2025 with 180 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2386.
When was the name Booker most popular?
Booker peaked in 1916, when 294 American boys received the name (ranked #303 that year). Since 1916 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Booker?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,000 newborn American boys was named Booker. It scores 38/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify 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.