Hope
Girl name · #352 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Hope? In official American birth records, Hope has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Hope ranks #352 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 868 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #225, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,074 girls born in 2025 was named Hope.
The 145-year story
Hope first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 9 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2000, when 2,321 girls were named Hope — good for #146 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Hope per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Hope against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Hope in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Hope 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 Hope is most common
Geography matters for names, and Hope is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Hope is most common in NV (1.2 per 1,000), OK (1.2 per 1,000), MI (1.1 per 1,000), KS (0.9 per 1,000), MO (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Hope is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Hope
Statistically, parents drawn to Hope tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Paige, Halle, Serena, Hanna, and Maggie.
PaigeHalleSerenaHannaMaggieKiraKateBrooke
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Hope | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 868 | #352 |
| 2024 | 973 | #317 |
| 2023 | 1,026 | #302 |
| 2022 | 1,214 | #258 |
| 2021 | 1,329 | #225 |
| 2020 | 1,439 | #202 |
| 2019 | 1,374 | #227 |
| 2018 | 1,296 | #252 |
| 2017 | 1,271 | #250 |
| 2016 | 1,353 | #238 |
| 2015 | 1,453 | #225 |
| 2014 | 1,451 | #229 |
| 2013 | 1,397 | #230 |
| 2012 | 1,456 | #218 |
| 2011 | 1,396 | #227 |
| 2010 | 1,313 | #240 |
| 2009 | 1,434 | #230 |
| 2008 | 1,537 | #220 |
| 2007 | 1,684 | #206 |
| 2006 | 1,778 | #198 |
| 2005 | 1,891 | #183 |
| 2004 | 1,913 | #178 |
| 2003 | 1,897 | #172 |
| 2002 | 2,055 | #160 |
| 2001 | 2,180 | #150 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Hope?
In official American birth records, the name Hope first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 9 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Hope a popular girl name?
Hope ranked #352 among girls in 2025 with 868 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #225.
When was the name Hope most popular?
Hope peaked in 2000, when 2,321 American girls received the name (ranked #146 that year). Since 2000 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Hope?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,074 newborn American girls was named Hope. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.