Governor
Every Governor since 1889 — 349 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Governor
Governor is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1889, 349 American babies have been named Governor. Its peak came in 1923, when 17 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
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 Governor stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Governor year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — |
| 2015 | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — |
| 2013 | — | — |
| 2012 | — | — |
| 2011 | 5 | #12,952 |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2009 | — | — |
| 2008 | — | — |
| 2007 | — | — |
| 2006 | — | — |
| 2005 | — | — |
| 2004 | — | — |
| 2003 | — | — |
| 2002 | — | — |
| 2001 | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1995 | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1955 | 9 | #2,849 |
| 1950 | 5 | #3,886 |
| 1945 | 6 | #3,129 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1935 | 7 | #3,082 |
| 1930 | 12 | #2,355 |
| 1925 | 15 | #2,124 |
| 1920 | 13 | #2,381 |
| 1915 | 8 | #2,927 |
| 1910 | 6 | #1,485 |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,224 |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Governor in 2025?
Governor did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Governor?
349 babies have been named Governor in the United States since 1889, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Governor most popular?
Governor peaked in 1923, when 17 newborns received the name.
Is Governor a boy or girl name?
Governor is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Governor rising or falling?
Governor has been roughly stable over the past decade.