Sailor
Girl name · #1134 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Sailor? In official American birth records, Sailor has been tracked continuously since 1998, giving it 27 years of documented American history.
Sailor ranks #1134 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 206 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1092, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,738 girls born in 2025 was named Sailor.
The 27-year story
Sailor first appears in the Social Security records in 1998, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 245 girls were named Sailor — good for #1064 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 Sailor per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sailor against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sailor in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sailor is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sailor will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sailor is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sailor is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Sailor is most common in GA (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Sailor is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Sailor
Statistically, parents drawn to Sailor tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Baylor, Karter, Spencer, Elanor, and Kimber.
BaylorKarterSpencerElanorKimberDiorSaoirseAmor
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sailor | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 206 | #1132 |
| 2024 | 170 | #1341 |
| 2023 | 230 | #1075 |
| 2022 | 182 | #1295 |
| 2021 | 213 | #1148 |
| 2020 | 225 | #1085 |
| 2019 | 208 | #1156 |
| 2018 | 158 | #1413 |
| 2017 | 243 | #1055 |
| 2016 | 245 | #1064 |
| 2015 | 237 | #1092 |
| 2014 | 200 | #1221 |
| 2013 | 135 | #1587 |
| 2012 | 103 | #1918 |
| 2011 | 111 | #1817 |
| 2010 | 90 | #2167 |
| 2009 | 85 | #2286 |
| 2008 | 77 | #2462 |
| 2007 | 74 | #2509 |
| 2006 | 64 | #2757 |
| 2005 | 42 | #3509 |
| 2004 | 45 | #3333 |
| 2003 | 55 | #2800 |
| 2002 | 51 | #2888 |
| 2001 | 52 | #2808 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sailor?
In official American birth records, the name Sailor first appeared in 1998 (over 27 years ago), when 10 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 27 years.
Is Sailor a popular girl name?
Sailor ranked #1134 among girls in 2025 with 206 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1092.
When was the name Sailor most popular?
Sailor peaked in 2016, when 245 American girls received the name (ranked #1064 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sailor?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,738 newborn American girls was named Sailor. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.