Cooper
Boy name · #27 in 2025 · Very well-known
How old is the name Cooper? In official American birth records, Cooper has been tracked continuously since 1882, giving it 143 years of documented American history.
Cooper ranks #27 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 7,472 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #77, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 241 boys born in 2025 was named Cooper.
Babies named Cooper per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 143-year story
Cooper first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 7,472 babies and a rank of #27. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Cooper against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cooper in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cooper is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Cooper is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cooper is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Cooper is most common in VT (21 per 1,000), WY (15 per 1,000), ND (12 per 1,000), WV (11 per 1,000), MT (11 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 5.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Cooper is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Cooper
Statistically, parents drawn to Cooper tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carter, Asher, Julian, Santiago, and Hudson.
CarterAsherJulianSantiagoHudsonRomanMilesParker
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cooper | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,472 | #27 |
| 2024 | 5,715 | #50 |
| 2023 | 5,445 | #52 |
| 2022 | 5,631 | #53 |
| 2021 | 4,673 | #68 |
| 2020 | 4,592 | #75 |
| 2019 | 4,557 | #80 |
| 2018 | 4,473 | #83 |
| 2017 | 4,618 | #88 |
| 2016 | 4,974 | #79 |
| 2015 | 5,272 | #77 |
| 2014 | 4,851 | #86 |
| 2013 | 4,898 | #84 |
| 2012 | 5,194 | #83 |
| 2011 | 5,176 | #82 |
| 2010 | 5,260 | #75 |
| 2009 | 5,072 | #84 |
| 2008 | 5,051 | #92 |
| 2007 | 4,622 | #96 |
| 2006 | 3,747 | #113 |
| 2005 | 3,393 | #120 |
| 2004 | 3,045 | #133 |
| 2003 | 2,368 | #167 |
| 2002 | 1,931 | #196 |
| 2001 | 1,804 | #202 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Cooper?
In official American birth records, the name Cooper first appeared in 1882 (over 143 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Cooper a popular boy name?
Cooper ranked #27 among boys in 2025 with 7,472 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #77.
When was the name Cooper most popular?
Cooper peaked in 2025, when 7,472 American boys received the name (ranked #27 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Cooper?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 241 newborn American boys was named Cooper. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.