Montana
Girl name · #1033 in 2025 · Rare
Montana is currently the #1033 girl name in the United States — 242 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1667, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,438 girls born in 2025 was named Montana.
The 115-year story
Montana first appears in the Social Security records in 1910, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1998, when 496 girls were named Montana — good for #510 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 Montana per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Montana against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Montana in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Montana is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Montana will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Montana is most common
Geography matters for names, and Montana is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Montana is most common in OK (0.7 per 1,000), MO (0.5 per 1,000), PA (0.4 per 1,000), OH (0.4 per 1,000), TN (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Montana is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Montana
Statistically, parents drawn to Montana tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tatiana, Kiana, Briana, Mikaela, and Tiana.
TatianaKianaBrianaMikaelaTianaAyanaOrianaMikayla
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Montana | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 242 | #1033 |
| 2024 | 236 | #1056 |
| 2023 | 174 | #1304 |
| 2022 | 184 | #1288 |
| 2021 | 150 | #1432 |
| 2020 | 116 | #1728 |
| 2019 | 121 | #1716 |
| 2018 | 113 | #1799 |
| 2017 | 115 | #1804 |
| 2016 | 138 | #1598 |
| 2015 | 128 | #1667 |
| 2014 | 126 | #1674 |
| 2013 | 104 | #1918 |
| 2012 | 87 | #2160 |
| 2011 | 99 | #1982 |
| 2010 | 80 | #2360 |
| 2009 | 129 | #1710 |
| 2008 | 192 | #1295 |
| 2007 | 290 | #932 |
| 2006 | 306 | #869 |
| 2005 | 226 | #1054 |
| 2004 | 238 | #993 |
| 2003 | 304 | #810 |
| 2002 | 366 | #684 |
| 2001 | 374 | #670 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Montana a popular girl name?
Montana ranked #1033 among girls in 2025 with 242 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1667.
When was the name Montana most popular?
Montana peaked in 1998, when 496 American girls received the name (ranked #510 that year). Since 1998 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Montana?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,438 newborn American girls was named Montana. 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.