Piper
Girl name · #155 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Piper? In official American birth records, Piper has been tracked continuously since 1951, giving it 74 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 1,940 baby girls were named Piper, placing it at #155 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #67, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 928 girls born in 2025 was named Piper.
The 74-year story
Piper first appears in the Social Security records in 1951, when 11 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 4,140 girls were named Piper — good for #67 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 Piper per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Piper against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Piper in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Piper is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Piper is most common
Geography matters for names, and Piper is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Piper is most common in MT (5.7 per 1,000), WV (5.1 per 1,000), ME (4.5 per 1,000), NH (4.5 per 1,000), AL (3.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.5 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Piper is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Piper
Statistically, parents drawn to Piper tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Skylar, Parker, Sawyer, Presley, and Ember.
SkylarParkerSawyerPresleyEmberRiverXimenaBella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Piper | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,940 | #155 |
| 2024 | 1,884 | #159 |
| 2023 | 2,075 | #135 |
| 2022 | 2,495 | #114 |
| 2021 | 2,741 | #96 |
| 2020 | 2,902 | #91 |
| 2019 | 3,188 | #84 |
| 2018 | 3,230 | #88 |
| 2017 | 3,567 | #81 |
| 2016 | 3,956 | #67 |
| 2015 | 4,140 | #67 |
| 2014 | 3,868 | #75 |
| 2013 | 3,191 | #97 |
| 2012 | 3,073 | #98 |
| 2011 | 2,737 | #110 |
| 2010 | 2,142 | #144 |
| 2009 | 2,191 | #147 |
| 2008 | 1,913 | #172 |
| 2007 | 1,483 | #240 |
| 2006 | 1,385 | #245 |
| 2005 | 1,261 | #259 |
| 2004 | 1,214 | #266 |
| 2003 | 902 | #343 |
| 2002 | 643 | #448 |
| 2001 | 705 | #411 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Piper?
In official American birth records, the name Piper first appeared in 1951 (over 74 years ago), when 11 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 74 years.
Is Piper a popular girl name?
Piper ranked #155 among girls in 2025 with 1,940 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #67.
When was the name Piper most popular?
Piper peaked in 2015, when 4,140 American girls received the name (ranked #67 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Piper?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 928 newborn American girls was named Piper. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.