Boston
The US city is named after the English town (from which several prominent colonists had come), which itself is sometimes said to be named as a contraction of Botolph's…
Every Boston since 1880 — 11,944 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Boston
Boston is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #620 in 2025 with 451 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 11,944 American babies have been named Boston — about 91% boys and 9% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2014, when 562 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Boston stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Boston year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 54 | #3,037 | 451 | #620 |
| 2024 | 44 | #3,523 | 451 | #627 |
| 2023 | 41 | #3,716 | 433 | #636 |
| 2022 | 43 | #3,609 | 454 | #616 |
| 2021 | 52 | #3,120 | 464 | #601 |
| 2020 | 42 | #3,555 | 463 | #594 |
| 2019 | 53 | #3,049 | 451 | #607 |
| 2018 | 41 | #3,687 | 407 | #640 |
| 2017 | 41 | #3,707 | 389 | #659 |
| 2016 | 50 | #3,242 | 416 | #638 |
| 2015 | 39 | #3,856 | 451 | #605 |
| 2014 | 65 | #2,690 | 497 | #555 |
| 2013 | 48 | #3,324 | 465 | #566 |
| 2012 | 50 | #3,275 | 487 | #536 |
| 2011 | 33 | #4,373 | 456 | #557 |
| 2010 | 33 | #4,409 | 462 | #546 |
| 2009 | 34 | #4,384 | 492 | #537 |
| 2008 | 41 | #3,875 | 461 | #563 |
| 2007 | 36 | #4,227 | 388 | #627 |
| 2006 | 33 | #4,373 | 374 | #631 |
| 2005 | 30 | #4,500 | 302 | #687 |
| 2004 | 24 | #5,235 | 188 | #909 |
| 2003 | 18 | #6,352 | 130 | #1,155 |
| 2002 | 17 | #6,435 | 116 | #1,201 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9,468 | 75 | #1,593 |
| 2000 | 7 | #11,969 | 83 | #1,479 |
| 1995 | 9 | #8,863 | 57 | #1,604 |
| 1990 | — | — | 29 | #2,376 |
| 1985 | — | — | 7 | #5,205 |
| 1980 | — | — | 7 | #4,991 |
| 1975 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | 6 | #4,283 |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | 5 | #3,937 |
| 1950 | — | — | 7 | #3,060 |
| 1945 | — | — | 10 | #2,263 |
| 1940 | — | — | 9 | #2,501 |
| 1935 | — | — | 8 | #2,739 |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | 11 | #2,612 |
| 1920 | — | — | 13 | #2,352 |
| 1915 | — | — | 13 | #2,081 |
| 1910 | — | — | 8 | #1,210 |
| 1905 | — | — | 5 | #1,255 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | 5 | #928 |
Famous people named Boston
- Boston Corbett Military personnel · 1832–1894
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Boston mean?
The US city is named after the English town (from which several prominent colonists had come), which itself is sometimes said to be named as a contraction of Botolph's town or Botolph's stone (the name Botolph itself coming from…
How popular is the name Boston in 2025?
Boston ranked #620 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 451 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Boston?
11,944 babies have been named Boston in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Boston most popular?
Boston peaked in 2014, when 562 newborns received the name.
Is Boston a boy or girl name?
Boston is used for both: about 9% of babies named Boston have been girls and 91% boys.
Is the name Boston rising or falling?
Boston has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Boston?
Well-known people named Boston include Boston Corbett (military personnel).