Messiah
Boy name · #208 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Messiah? In official American birth records, Messiah has been tracked continuously since 1973, giving it 52 years of documented American history.
Messiah is currently the #208 boy name in the United States — 1,666 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #243, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,080 boys born in 2025 was named Messiah.
Babies named Messiah per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 52-year story
Messiah first appears in the Social Security records in 1973, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2021, when 2,231 boys were named Messiah — good for #172 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Messiah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Messiah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Messiah 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 Messiah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Messiah is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Messiah is most common in DC (5.1 per 1,000), MS (3.3 per 1,000), SC (2.5 per 1,000), GA (2.4 per 1,000), AL (2.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Messiah is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Messiah
Statistically, parents drawn to Messiah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Azariah, Jasiah, Hezekiah, Judah, and Malakai.
AzariahJasiahHezekiahJudahMalakaiMatiasMatteoJosiah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Messiah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,666 | #207 |
| 2024 | 1,744 | #203 |
| 2023 | 1,916 | #189 |
| 2022 | 2,024 | #186 |
| 2021 | 2,231 | #172 |
| 2020 | 2,036 | #190 |
| 2019 | 2,037 | #193 |
| 2018 | 2,003 | #203 |
| 2017 | 1,987 | #198 |
| 2016 | 1,794 | #217 |
| 2015 | 1,516 | #243 |
| 2014 | 1,188 | #299 |
| 2013 | 974 | #334 |
| 2012 | 769 | #388 |
| 2011 | 369 | #635 |
| 2010 | 371 | #647 |
| 2009 | 369 | #663 |
| 2008 | 337 | #699 |
| 2007 | 322 | #718 |
| 2006 | 256 | #799 |
| 2005 | 198 | #904 |
| 2004 | 136 | #1152 |
| 2003 | 118 | #1230 |
| 2002 | 105 | #1288 |
| 2001 | 99 | #1316 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Messiah?
In official American birth records, the name Messiah first appeared in 1973 (over 52 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 52 years.
Is Messiah a popular boy name?
Messiah ranked #208 among boys in 2025 with 1,666 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #243.
When was the name Messiah most popular?
Messiah peaked in 2021, when 2,231 American boys received the name (ranked #172 that year). Since 2021 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Messiah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,080 newborn American boys was named Messiah. 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.