Name Age Distribution | What Age Is Your Name Most Common?
Most people named Dorothy are in their 70s. Most named Liam are under 15. See the full age spread of living Americans who share a name.
Name Age Distribution
Some names skew young, others skew old. Enter your first name below to see the estimated age breakdown of living Americans who share it, from median age down to a full decade-by-decade split.
What This Tool Actually Measures
It’s important to understand the difference between a birth-year chart and an age distribution. A birth chart tells you how many babies were given a name in a specific year. This tool goes a step further: it estimates how many people with that name are alive today, broken down by current age.
To do this, we combine historical SSA birth records with U.S. actuarial life tables, which estimate survival rates for people born in a given year. A name that had thousands of births in the 1940s doesn’t necessarily have that many living holders today in their 80s many of those people are no longer living. Adjusting for this gives a far more realistic picture of a name’s current age profile, rather than just its historical popularity.
Name Age Categories Explained
| Category | Median Age | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Young Name | Under 15 | Mostly children; the name has surged in recent years |
| Modern Name | 15–30 | Mostly teens and young adults; likely peaked in the 2000s–2010s |
| Mature Name | 31–50 | Mostly working-age adults; likely peaked from the 1980s–2000s |
| Classic Name | 51–65 | Mostly older adults; peaked mid-20th century but stayed in steady use |
| Vintage Name | 65+ | Mostly seniors; strongly tied to an earlier generation |
When a Name Has Two Age Peaks
Not every name follows a simple bell curve. Some names were popular generations ago, fell out of fashion, and have recently come back into style creating two separate age clusters instead of one smooth spread. Names like Violet, Hazel, and Stella are good examples: a large group of older holders and a large group of very young holders, with relatively few people in between.
In these cases, the median age alone can be misleading. A “middle-of-the-road” median doesn’t necessarily mean the name is common in middle age — it may just be an average of two very different generational spikes. A full decade-by-decade breakdown paints a much clearer picture than a single number.
Why Age Distribution Matters for Choosing a Name
A name’s age profile tells you something a popularity rank alone can’t. Some classic names have stayed in steady, even use across every generation, meaning they don’t feel tied to any particular era. Other names cluster tightly around a specific decade, which can make them feel more distinctly tied to a certain generation.
For parents naming a child, understanding this pattern can help clarify whether a name feels timeless, trending, or nostalgic before making a final decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is my name most common at?
Enter your name into the tool above to see the percentage of living Americans with that name across each age decade, along with an overall median age.
How is the median age calculated?
The median age is the point where half of all living people with a given name are older, and half are younger. It’s calculated using SSA birth data adjusted with U.S. actuarial survival rates, reflecting people alive today rather than just historical birth totals.
Why do some names show two separate age peaks?
Certain names were popular in the early-to-mid 1900s, declined for decades, and have recently become popular again. This creates two distinct age groups older and younger holders with fewer people in between.
Does this show births or living people?
It reflects estimated living population, not raw birth counts. SSA birth records are adjusted for mortality using actuarial life tables to remove people who are no longer living.
Can I check a last name’s age distribution too?
This tool is built specifically for first names, since SSA birth data is recorded by given name rather than surname.
Conclusion
Whether a name reads as youthful, timeless, or vintage often comes down to who’s currently carrying it. Enter your name above to see its full age breakdown by decade.