Ward
Boy name · #2833 in 2025 · Uniqueness 77/100
Ward ranks #2833 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 44 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3882, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 40,909 boys born in 2025 was named Ward.
Babies named Ward per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Ward first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 30 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1961, when 341 boys were named Ward — good for #430 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ward against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ward in class?
Ward scores 77 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 Ward will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ward is most common
State-level data for Ward 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 Ward
Statistically, parents drawn to Ward tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gerard, Ted, Dino, Dave, and Ladd.
GerardTedDinoDaveLaddRickJeffRich
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ward | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 | #2833 |
| 2024 | 36 | #3272 |
| 2023 | 43 | #2895 |
| 2022 | 54 | #2517 |
| 2021 | 44 | #2819 |
| 2020 | 47 | #2658 |
| 2019 | 33 | #3426 |
| 2018 | 40 | #2943 |
| 2017 | 44 | #2755 |
| 2016 | 48 | #2587 |
| 2015 | 27 | #3882 |
| 2014 | 30 | #3532 |
| 2013 | 30 | #3497 |
| 2012 | 25 | #4003 |
| 2011 | 17 | #5200 |
| 2010 | 18 | #5047 |
| 2009 | 11 | #7236 |
| 2008 | 20 | #4714 |
| 2007 | 12 | #6622 |
| 2006 | 19 | #4675 |
| 2005 | 23 | #3941 |
| 2004 | 10 | #6976 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4616 |
| 2002 | 14 | #5131 |
| 2001 | 17 | #4476 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ward a popular boy name?
Ward ranked #2833 among boys in 2025 with 44 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3882.
When was the name Ward most popular?
Ward peaked in 1961, when 341 American boys received the name (ranked #430 that year). Since 1961 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ward?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 40,909 newborn American boys was named Ward. It scores 77/100 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.