Ransom
Boy name · #1688 in 2025 · Very rare
Ransom is currently the #1688 boy name in the United States — 97 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1567, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,557 boys born in 2025 was named Ransom.
Babies named Ransom per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Ransom first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 111 babies and a rank of #1589. 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 Ransom against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ransom in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ransom is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ransom will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ransom is most common
State-level data for Ransom is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Ransom
Statistically, parents drawn to Ransom tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Shalom, Avrohom, Sholom, Taysom, and Shulem.
ShalomAvrohomSholomTaysomShulemRadleyWisdomRaziel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ransom | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 | #1688 |
| 2024 | 102 | #1650 |
| 2023 | 105 | #1640 |
| 2022 | 111 | #1589 |
| 2021 | 102 | #1635 |
| 2020 | 102 | #1592 |
| 2019 | 74 | #1974 |
| 2018 | 78 | #1901 |
| 2017 | 100 | #1605 |
| 2016 | 110 | #1522 |
| 2015 | 103 | #1567 |
| 2014 | 93 | #1657 |
| 2013 | 96 | #1605 |
| 2012 | 78 | #1863 |
| 2011 | 70 | #1968 |
| 2010 | 83 | #1778 |
| 2009 | 67 | #2050 |
| 2008 | 55 | #2345 |
| 2007 | 60 | #2213 |
| 2006 | 56 | #2248 |
| 2005 | 51 | #2297 |
| 2004 | 35 | #2887 |
| 2003 | 29 | #3186 |
| 2002 | 31 | #2943 |
| 2001 | 28 | #3143 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ransom a popular boy name?
Ransom ranked #1688 among boys in 2025 with 97 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1567.
When was the name Ransom most popular?
Ransom peaked in 2022, when 111 American boys received the name (ranked #1589 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Ransom?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,557 newborn American boys was named Ransom. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.