Major
Boy name · #669 in 2025 · Rare
Major is currently the #669 boy name in the United States — 407 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #361, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,423 boys born in 2025 was named Major.
The 145-year story
Major first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 28 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2017, when 1,042 boys were named Major — good for #329 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 Major per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Major against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Major in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Major is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Major will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Major is most common
Geography matters for names, and Major is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Major is most common in MS (1.5 per 1,000), AL (0.8 per 1,000), SC (0.8 per 1,000), KS (0.7 per 1,000), GA (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Major is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Major
Statistically, parents drawn to Major tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gunner, Jaxton, Viktor, Magnus, and Duke.
GunnerJaxtonViktorMagnusDukeMeirMaxtonPorter
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Major | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 407 | #669 |
| 2024 | 491 | #580 |
| 2023 | 579 | #514 |
| 2022 | 705 | #441 |
| 2021 | 759 | #411 |
| 2020 | 913 | #349 |
| 2019 | 948 | #350 |
| 2018 | 944 | #349 |
| 2017 | 1,042 | #329 |
| 2016 | 990 | #348 |
| 2015 | 913 | #361 |
| 2014 | 934 | #350 |
| 2013 | 854 | #366 |
| 2012 | 556 | #486 |
| 2011 | 197 | #990 |
| 2010 | 238 | #878 |
| 2009 | 182 | #1045 |
| 2008 | 90 | #1692 |
| 2007 | 94 | #1638 |
| 2006 | 83 | #1698 |
| 2005 | 74 | #1772 |
| 2004 | 75 | #1701 |
| 2003 | 63 | #1870 |
| 2002 | 78 | #1571 |
| 2001 | 74 | #1600 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Major a popular boy name?
Major ranked #669 among boys in 2025 with 407 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #361.
When was the name Major most popular?
Major peaked in 2017, when 1,042 American boys received the name (ranked #329 that year). Since 2017 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Major?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,423 newborn American boys was named Major. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
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.