Johnny
Boy name · #458 in 2025 · Uniqueness 59/100
Johnny ranks #458 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 682 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #310, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,639 boys born in 2025 was named Johnny.
Babies named Johnny per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Johnny first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 20 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 7,441 boys were named Johnny — good for #49 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 Johnny against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Johnny in class?
Johnny scores 59 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 Johnny is most common
Geography matters for names, and Johnny is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Johnnys were CA (120), TX (102), FL (38), TN (30), NC (28). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Johnny
Statistically, parents drawn to Johnny tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Danny, Benny, Jimmy, Jerry, and Kenny.
DannyBennyJimmyJerryKennyTommyJeffreyRoy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Johnny | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 682 | #457 |
| 2024 | 685 | #456 |
| 2023 | 718 | #434 |
| 2022 | 800 | #399 |
| 2021 | 720 | #433 |
| 2020 | 793 | #387 |
| 2019 | 848 | #373 |
| 2018 | 941 | #352 |
| 2017 | 974 | #346 |
| 2016 | 1,038 | #335 |
| 2015 | 1,153 | #310 |
| 2014 | 1,186 | #300 |
| 2013 | 1,330 | #267 |
| 2012 | 1,243 | #281 |
| 2011 | 1,252 | #282 |
| 2010 | 1,294 | #267 |
| 2009 | 1,349 | #256 |
| 2008 | 1,477 | #246 |
| 2007 | 1,507 | #241 |
| 2006 | 1,461 | #237 |
| 2005 | 1,397 | #241 |
| 2004 | 1,317 | #251 |
| 2003 | 1,370 | #246 |
| 2002 | 1,439 | #235 |
| 2001 | 1,540 | #225 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Johnny a popular boy name?
Johnny ranked #458 among boys in 2025 with 682 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #310.
When was the name Johnny most popular?
Johnny peaked in 1947, when 7,441 American boys received the name (ranked #49 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Johnny?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,639 newborn American boys was named Johnny. It scores 59/100 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.