Journey
Boy name · #1949 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Journey? In official American birth records, Journey has been tracked continuously since 1983, giving it 42 years of documented American history.
Journey ranks #1949 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 79 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2068, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 22,785 boys born in 2025 was named Journey.
Babies named Journey per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 42-year story
Journey first appears in the Social Security records in 1983, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2019, when 125 boys were named Journey — good for #1407 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Journey against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Journey in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Journey is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Journey will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Journey is most common
State-level data for Journey is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Journey
Based on popularity-curve shape, era, and phonetics, the nearest stylistic neighbors of Journey are Ridley, Huntley, Jersey, Wrigley, Jessiah — useful as a shortlist if Journey is close but not quite it.
RidleyHuntleyJerseyWrigleyJessiahHenleyRadleyJahsiah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Journey | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 79 | #1942 |
| 2024 | 88 | #1833 |
| 2023 | 103 | #1662 |
| 2022 | 102 | #1678 |
| 2021 | 124 | #1454 |
| 2020 | 125 | #1390 |
| 2019 | 125 | #1407 |
| 2018 | 107 | #1565 |
| 2017 | 113 | #1488 |
| 2016 | 102 | #1599 |
| 2015 | 68 | #2068 |
| 2014 | 76 | #1907 |
| 2013 | 66 | #2044 |
| 2012 | 83 | #1787 |
| 2011 | 60 | #2173 |
| 2010 | 72 | #1940 |
| 2009 | 46 | #2663 |
| 2008 | 63 | #2140 |
| 2007 | 43 | #2765 |
| 2006 | 21 | #4370 |
| 2005 | 39 | #2752 |
| 2004 | 29 | #3285 |
| 2003 | 32 | #2993 |
| 2002 | 28 | #3188 |
| 2001 | 35 | #2681 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Journey?
In official American birth records, the name Journey first appeared in 1983 (over 42 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 42 years.
Is Journey a popular boy name?
Journey ranked #1949 among boys in 2025 with 79 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2068.
When was the name Journey most popular?
Journey peaked in 2019, when 125 American boys received the name (ranked #1407 that year). Since 2019 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Journey?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 22,785 newborn American boys was named Journey. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.