Pepper
Girl name · #1903 in 2025 · Uniqueness 75/100
Pepper ranks #1903 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 102 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1501, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,647 girls born in 2025 was named Pepper.
The 78-year story
Pepper first appears in the Social Security records in 1947, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 161 girls were named Pepper — good for #1416 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 Pepper per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Pepper against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Pepper in class?
Pepper scores 75 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Pepper will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Pepper is most common
Geography matters for names, and Pepper is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Peppers were CA (20), UT (7), FL (6), OH (5), TX (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Pepper
Statistically, parents drawn to Pepper tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Pyper, Vesper, Kooper, Cooper, and Porter.
PyperVesperKooperCooperPorterJasperPippaRyder
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Pepper | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 102 | #1902 |
| 2024 | 127 | #1630 |
| 2023 | 129 | #1614 |
| 2022 | 156 | #1437 |
| 2021 | 156 | #1398 |
| 2020 | 132 | #1587 |
| 2019 | 145 | #1502 |
| 2018 | 131 | #1623 |
| 2017 | 123 | #1721 |
| 2016 | 136 | #1614 |
| 2015 | 152 | #1501 |
| 2014 | 161 | #1416 |
| 2013 | 154 | #1451 |
| 2012 | 135 | #1602 |
| 2011 | 118 | #1741 |
| 2010 | 98 | #2028 |
| 2009 | 67 | #2705 |
| 2008 | 30 | #4882 |
| 2007 | 19 | #6812 |
| 2006 | 28 | #4953 |
| 2005 | 17 | #6820 |
| 2004 | 8 | #11624 |
| 2002 | 5 | #15432 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9351 |
| 2000 | 7 | #11801 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Pepper a popular girl name?
Pepper ranked #1903 among girls in 2025 with 102 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1501.
When was the name Pepper most popular?
Pepper peaked in 2014, when 161 American girls received the name (ranked #1416 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Pepper?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,647 newborn American girls was named Pepper. It scores 75/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify 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.