Don
Boy name · #1793 in 2025 · Uniqueness 70/100
Don is currently the #1793 boy name in the United States — 89 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1444, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 20,225 boys born in 2025 was named Don.
The 145-year story
Don first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 34 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1946, when 4,110 boys were named Don — good for #79 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Babies named Don per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Don against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Don in class?
Don scores 70 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Don will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Don is most common
Geography matters for names, and Don is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Dons were TX (19), GA (8), NY (6), CA (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Don
Statistically, parents drawn to Don tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gordon, Dan, Eldon, Alton, and Glen.
GordonDanEldonAltonGlenDonnieJonMyron
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Don | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89 | #1793 |
| 2024 | 92 | #1776 |
| 2023 | 94 | #1744 |
| 2022 | 115 | #1551 |
| 2021 | 102 | #1635 |
| 2020 | 90 | #1716 |
| 2019 | 88 | #1762 |
| 2018 | 115 | #1498 |
| 2017 | 90 | #1725 |
| 2016 | 105 | #1563 |
| 2015 | 117 | #1444 |
| 2014 | 112 | #1456 |
| 2013 | 125 | #1352 |
| 2012 | 96 | #1617 |
| 2011 | 113 | #1448 |
| 2010 | 111 | #1470 |
| 2009 | 136 | #1290 |
| 2008 | 133 | #1303 |
| 2007 | 127 | #1332 |
| 2006 | 170 | #1054 |
| 2005 | 138 | #1155 |
| 2004 | 140 | #1128 |
| 2003 | 155 | #1016 |
| 2002 | 155 | #1003 |
| 2001 | 183 | #873 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Don a popular boy name?
Don ranked #1793 among boys in 2025 with 89 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1444.
When was the name Don most popular?
Don peaked in 1946, when 4,110 American boys received the name (ranked #79 that year). Since 1946 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Don?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 20,225 newborn American boys was named Don. It scores 70/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.