Pepper
Girl name · #1903 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Pepper? In official American birth records, Pepper has been tracked continuously since 1947, giving it 78 years of documented American history.
Pepper ranks #1903 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 102 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1501, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,647 girls born in 2025 was named Pepper.
The 78-year story
Pepper first appears in the Social Security records in 1947, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 161 girls were named Pepper — good for #1416 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.
Babies named Pepper per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Pepper against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Pepper in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Pepper is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Pepper will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Pepper is most common
State-level data for Pepper 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 Pepper
Statistically, parents drawn to Pepper tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Pyper, Vesper, Kooper, Cooper, and Porter.
PyperVesperKooperCooperPorterJasperPippaRyder
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Pepper | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 102 | #1902 |
| 2024 | 127 | #1630 |
| 2023 | 129 | #1614 |
| 2022 | 156 | #1437 |
| 2021 | 156 | #1398 |
| 2020 | 132 | #1587 |
| 2019 | 145 | #1502 |
| 2018 | 131 | #1623 |
| 2017 | 123 | #1721 |
| 2016 | 136 | #1614 |
| 2015 | 152 | #1501 |
| 2014 | 161 | #1416 |
| 2013 | 154 | #1451 |
| 2012 | 135 | #1602 |
| 2011 | 118 | #1741 |
| 2010 | 98 | #2028 |
| 2009 | 67 | #2705 |
| 2008 | 30 | #4882 |
| 2007 | 19 | #6812 |
| 2006 | 28 | #4953 |
| 2005 | 17 | #6820 |
| 2004 | 8 | #11624 |
| 2002 | 5 | #15432 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9351 |
| 2000 | 7 | #11801 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Pepper?
In official American birth records, the name Pepper first appeared in 1947 (over 78 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 78 years.
Is Pepper a popular girl name?
Pepper ranked #1903 among girls in 2025 with 102 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1501.
When was the name Pepper most popular?
Pepper peaked in 2014, when 161 American girls received the name (ranked #1416 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Pepper?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,647 newborn American girls was named Pepper. 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.