John
Boy name · #23 in 2025 · Uniqueness 37/100
John ranks #23 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 8,027 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #26, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 224 boys born in 2025 was named John.
The 145-year story
John first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 9,655 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 88,324 boys were named John — good for #3 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.
Babies named John per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare John against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another John in class?
John scores 37 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 John is most common
Geography matters for names, and John is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Johns were TX (744), CA (463), FL (452), NY (431), GA (369). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like John
Statistically, parents drawn to John tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Joseph, James, David, Thomas, and Michael.
JosephJamesDavidThomasMichaelCharlesWilliamRobert
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named John | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,027 | #23 |
| 2024 | 8,087 | #21 |
| 2023 | 7,804 | #26 |
| 2022 | 8,001 | #26 |
| 2021 | 8,186 | #27 |
| 2020 | 8,265 | #27 |
| 2019 | 8,863 | #28 |
| 2018 | 9,204 | #26 |
| 2017 | 9,536 | #27 |
| 2016 | 10,060 | #28 |
| 2015 | 10,423 | #26 |
| 2014 | 10,701 | #26 |
| 2013 | 10,739 | #27 |
| 2012 | 10,638 | #28 |
| 2011 | 11,068 | #27 |
| 2010 | 11,568 | #26 |
| 2009 | 12,133 | #26 |
| 2008 | 13,336 | #20 |
| 2007 | 14,447 | #19 |
| 2006 | 15,177 | #19 |
| 2005 | 15,796 | #18 |
| 2004 | 16,470 | #17 |
| 2003 | 17,249 | #17 |
| 2002 | 17,477 | #17 |
| 2001 | 18,904 | #14 |
Frequently asked questions
Is John a popular boy name?
John ranked #23 among boys in 2025 with 8,027 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #26.
When was the name John most popular?
John peaked in 1947, when 88,324 American boys received the name (ranked #3 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name John?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 224 newborn American boys was named John. It scores 37/100 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.