Ted
Boy name · #3181 in 2025 · Uniqueness 75/100
Ted is currently the #3181 boy name in the United States — 37 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2565, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 48,649 boys born in 2025 was named Ted.
The 145-year story
Ted first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 13 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1958, when 1,743 boys were named Ted — good for #173 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Ted per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ted against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ted in class?
Ted 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 Ted will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ted is most common
State-level data for Ted 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 Ted
Statistically, parents drawn to Ted tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tom, Todd, Tim, Ward, and Hal.
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ted | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3181 |
| 2024 | 44 | #2873 |
| 2023 | 43 | #2895 |
| 2022 | 41 | #3003 |
| 2021 | 38 | #3121 |
| 2020 | 35 | #3202 |
| 2019 | 55 | #2421 |
| 2018 | 49 | #2579 |
| 2017 | 56 | #2319 |
| 2016 | 56 | #2335 |
| 2015 | 48 | #2565 |
| 2014 | 59 | #2256 |
| 2013 | 73 | #1915 |
| 2012 | 67 | #2049 |
| 2011 | 66 | #2035 |
| 2010 | 81 | #1806 |
| 2009 | 53 | #2401 |
| 2008 | 75 | #1916 |
| 2007 | 61 | #2185 |
| 2006 | 59 | #2176 |
| 2005 | 75 | #1752 |
| 2004 | 72 | #1748 |
| 2003 | 74 | #1673 |
| 2002 | 99 | #1332 |
| 2001 | 99 | #1316 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ted a popular boy name?
Ted ranked #3181 among boys in 2025 with 37 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2565.
When was the name Ted most popular?
Ted peaked in 1958, when 1,743 American boys received the name (ranked #173 that year). Since 1958 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ted?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 48,649 newborn American boys was named Ted. 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.