Cedar
Boy name · #1250 in 2025 · Uniqueness 65/100
Cedar ranks #1250 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 160 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1502, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 11,250 boys born in 2025 was named Cedar.
The 53-year story
Cedar first appears in the Social Security records in 1972, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 188 babies and a rank of #1125. 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 Cedar per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cedar against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cedar in class?
Cedar scores 65 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 Cedar is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cedar is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Cedars were WA (15), CA (13), TX (11), OR (9), MI (8). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Cedar
Statistically, parents drawn to Cedar tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cartier, Ammar, Umar, Ahmir, and Bear.
CartierAmmarUmarAhmirBearSamarCasperBriar
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cedar | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 160 | #1244 |
| 2024 | 173 | #1189 |
| 2023 | 155 | #1248 |
| 2022 | 188 | #1125 |
| 2021 | 153 | #1245 |
| 2020 | 158 | #1201 |
| 2019 | 161 | #1188 |
| 2018 | 145 | #1261 |
| 2017 | 136 | #1321 |
| 2016 | 134 | #1329 |
| 2015 | 110 | #1502 |
| 2014 | 75 | #1920 |
| 2013 | 69 | #1989 |
| 2012 | 62 | #2155 |
| 2011 | 58 | #2232 |
| 2010 | 50 | #2467 |
| 2009 | 41 | #2894 |
| 2008 | 41 | #2879 |
| 2007 | 47 | #2602 |
| 2006 | 48 | #2513 |
| 2005 | 26 | #3615 |
| 2004 | 27 | #3456 |
| 2003 | 27 | #3366 |
| 2002 | 24 | #3554 |
| 2001 | 39 | #2489 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cedar a popular boy name?
Cedar ranked #1250 among boys in 2025 with 160 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1502.
When was the name Cedar most popular?
Cedar peaked in 2022, when 188 American boys received the name (ranked #1125 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Cedar?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 11,250 newborn American boys was named Cedar. It scores 65/100 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.