The 50 Most Common Names in America, and How Old They Are
Counted by living people, not babies born this year, these are the most common first names in the US. Michael leads with 3.6 million people.
Most are boys' names. Parents spread girls across many more names, so even the most common girl's name, Mary, has fewer living people than the top few boys' names.
| # | Name | Estimated alive | Peak year | Average age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 3.6 million | 1957 | 49 |
| 2 | James | 2.9 million | 1947 | 54 |
| 3 | John | 2.7 million | 1947 | 55 |
| 4 | David | 2.7 million | 1955 | 52 |
| 5 | Robert | 2.5 million | 1947 | 58 |
| 6 | William | 2.1 million | 1947 | 51 |
| 7 | Christopher | 1.9 million | 1984 | 41 |
| 8 | Mary | 1.7 million | 1921 | 66 |
| 9 | Joseph | 1.7 million | 1956 | 45 |
| 10 | Daniel | 1.6 million | 1985 | 42 |
| 11 | Matthew | 1.5 million | 1983 | 36 |
| 12 | Thomas | 1.4 million | 1952 | 53 |
| 13 | Richard | 1.4 million | 1946 | 60 |
| 14 | Jennifer | 1.4 million | 1972 | 46 |
| 15 | Anthony | 1.2 million | 1990 | 40 |
| 16 | Joshua | 1.2 million | 1989 | 33 |
| 17 | Charles | 1.2 million | 1947 | 54 |
| 18 | Elizabeth | 1.1 million | 1990 | 44 |
| 19 | Andrew | 1.1 million | 1987 | 36 |
| 20 | Mark | 1.1 million | 1960 | 56 |
| 21 | Linda | 1.1 million | 1947 | 70 |
| 22 | Steven | 1 million | 1956 | 52 |
| 23 | Kevin | 1 million | 1963 | 45 |
| 24 | Brian | 1 million | 1972 | 48 |
| 25 | Jessica | 1 million | 1987 | 38 |
| # | Name | Estimated alive | Peak year | Average age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Patricia | 1 million | 1951 | 68 |
| 27 | Jason | 980,000 | 1977 | 42 |
| 28 | Ryan | 950,000 | 1985 | 33 |
| 29 | Jacob | 930,000 | 1998 | 26 |
| 30 | Timothy | 900,000 | 1959 | 50 |
| 31 | Sarah | 890,000 | 1982 | 39 |
| 32 | Lisa | 870,000 | 1965 | 56 |
| 33 | Susan | 860,000 | 1955 | 66 |
| 34 | Ashley | 850,000 | 1987 | 33 |
| 35 | Nicholas | 840,000 | 1995 | 33 |
| 36 | Jonathan | 810,000 | 1988 | 35 |
| 37 | Emily | 810,000 | 1999 | 29 |
| 38 | Jeffrey | 810,000 | 1962 | 53 |
| 39 | Barbara | 800,000 | 1947 | 72 |
| 40 | Paul | 800,000 | 1957 | 57 |
| 41 | Karen | 790,000 | 1957 | 63 |
| 42 | Eric | 790,000 | 1970 | 44 |
| 43 | Kimberly | 790,000 | 1970 | 48 |
| 44 | Kenneth | 760,000 | 1957 | 57 |
| 45 | Michelle | 760,000 | 1969 | 48 |
| 46 | Justin | 750,000 | 1988 | 34 |
| 47 | Amanda | 750,000 | 1987 | 39 |
| 48 | Brandon | 740,000 | 1992 | 33 |
| 49 | Benjamin | 720,000 | 1989 | 30 |
| 50 | Melissa | 720,000 | 1979 | 46 |
How this list works
Every name, ranked by the estimated number of people alive with it. Ages are estimates for people alive in 2026, from Social Security baby-name records and SSA life tables. How we calculate this