Rooney
Boy name · #3872 in 2025 · Uniqueness 72/100
Rooney is currently the #3872 boy name in the United States — 28 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3982, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 64,286 boys born in 2025 was named Rooney.
Babies named Rooney per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 82-year story
Rooney first appears in the Social Security records in 1943, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2011, when 44 boys were named Rooney — good for #2699 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 Rooney against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rooney in class?
Rooney scores 72 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 Rooney will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Rooney is most common
State-level data for Rooney is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Rooney
Statistically, parents drawn to Rooney tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rigby, Conley, Berkley, Journey, and Ridley.
RigbyConleyBerkleyJourneyRidleyAndreyShreyRhyder
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rooney | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | #3848 |
| 2024 | 40 | #3045 |
| 2023 | 23 | #4456 |
| 2022 | 24 | #4303 |
| 2021 | 24 | #4247 |
| 2020 | 23 | #4275 |
| 2019 | 21 | #4639 |
| 2018 | 22 | #4476 |
| 2017 | 20 | #4746 |
| 2016 | 11 | #7157 |
| 2015 | 26 | #3982 |
| 2014 | 28 | #3693 |
| 2013 | 32 | #3339 |
| 2012 | 29 | #3625 |
| 2011 | 44 | #2699 |
| 2010 | 35 | #3181 |
| 2009 | 23 | #4278 |
| 2008 | 22 | #4395 |
| 2007 | 19 | #4808 |
| 2006 | 16 | #5303 |
| 2005 | 7 | #9115 |
| 2004 | 6 | #9948 |
| 1991 | 8 | #5942 |
| 1990 | 5 | #8117 |
| 1987 | 6 | #6089 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rooney a popular boy name?
Rooney ranked #3872 among boys in 2025 with 28 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3982.
When was the name Rooney most popular?
Rooney peaked in 2011, when 44 American boys received the name (ranked #2699 that year). Since 2011 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Rooney?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 64,286 newborn American boys was named Rooney. It scores 72/100 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.