Promise
Girl name · #825 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Promise? In official American birth records, Promise has been tracked continuously since 1975, giving it 50 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 330 baby girls were named Promise, placing it at #825 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1068, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,455 girls born in 2025 was named Promise.
Babies named Promise per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 50-year story
Promise first appears in the Social Security records in 1975, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 395 babies and a rank of #714. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Promise against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Promise in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Promise is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Promise will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Promise is most common
Geography matters for names, and Promise is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Promise is most common in SC (1 per 1,000), AR (0.9 per 1,000), GA (0.8 per 1,000), LA (0.7 per 1,000), MD (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Promise is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Promise
Statistically, parents drawn to Promise tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Elouise, Praise, Annelise, Annalise, and Saoirse.
ElouisePraiseAnneliseAnnaliseSaoirsePersephoneMaddieTreasure
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Promise | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 330 | #823 |
| 2024 | 337 | #819 |
| 2023 | 395 | #714 |
| 2022 | 365 | #779 |
| 2021 | 390 | #730 |
| 2020 | 319 | #852 |
| 2019 | 320 | #843 |
| 2018 | 295 | #909 |
| 2017 | 242 | #1058 |
| 2016 | 215 | #1171 |
| 2015 | 246 | #1068 |
| 2014 | 249 | #1040 |
| 2013 | 218 | #1116 |
| 2012 | 211 | #1162 |
| 2011 | 217 | #1127 |
| 2010 | 217 | #1130 |
| 2009 | 203 | #1228 |
| 2008 | 203 | #1238 |
| 2007 | 179 | #1354 |
| 2006 | 149 | #1480 |
| 2005 | 116 | #1704 |
| 2004 | 107 | #1781 |
| 2003 | 98 | #1874 |
| 2002 | 68 | #2352 |
| 2001 | 99 | #1795 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Promise?
In official American birth records, the name Promise first appeared in 1975 (over 50 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 50 years.
Is Promise a popular girl name?
Promise ranked #825 among girls in 2025 with 330 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1068.
When was the name Promise most popular?
Promise peaked in 2023, when 395 American girls received the name (ranked #714 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Promise?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,455 newborn American girls was named Promise. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.