Mordecai
Boy name · #2097 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Mordecai? In official American birth records, Mordecai has been tracked continuously since 1912, giving it 113 years of documented American history.
Mordecai is currently the #2097 boy name in the United States — 70 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2300, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 25,714 boys born in 2025 was named Mordecai.
Babies named Mordecai per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 113-year story
Mordecai first appears in the Social Security records in 1912, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 99 babies and a rank of #1706. 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 Mordecai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mordecai in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Mordecai is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Mordecai will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Mordecai is most common
State-level data for Mordecai 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 Mordecai
Statistically, parents drawn to Mordecai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cai, Malikai, Malakhai, Malachai, and Zaccai.
CaiMalikaiMalakhaiMalachaiZaccaiAdonaiMahkaiMalakhi
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mordecai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 70 | #2091 |
| 2024 | 74 | #2042 |
| 2023 | 80 | #1941 |
| 2022 | 99 | #1706 |
| 2021 | 71 | #2060 |
| 2020 | 84 | #1788 |
| 2019 | 71 | #2042 |
| 2018 | 63 | #2189 |
| 2017 | 64 | #2130 |
| 2016 | 68 | #2066 |
| 2015 | 57 | #2300 |
| 2014 | 52 | #2429 |
| 2013 | 51 | #2424 |
| 2012 | 38 | #3002 |
| 2011 | 29 | #3605 |
| 2010 | 21 | #4517 |
| 2009 | 24 | #4160 |
| 2008 | 19 | #4901 |
| 2007 | 12 | #6622 |
| 2006 | 20 | #4520 |
| 2005 | 19 | #4464 |
| 2004 | 23 | #3860 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4616 |
| 2002 | 12 | #5725 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7536 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Mordecai?
In official American birth records, the name Mordecai first appeared in 1912 (over 113 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 113 years.
Is Mordecai a popular boy name?
Mordecai ranked #2097 among boys in 2025 with 70 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2300.
When was the name Mordecai most popular?
Mordecai peaked in 2022, when 99 American boys received the name (ranked #1706 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Mordecai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 25,714 newborn American boys was named Mordecai. 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.