Stanley
Boy name · #863 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Stanley? In official American birth records, Stanley has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Stanley is currently the #863 boy name in the United States — 278 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #687, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,475 boys born in 2025 was named Stanley.
Babies named Stanley per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Stanley first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 65 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1954, when 6,448 boys were named Stanley — good for #58 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Stanley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Stanley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Stanley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Stanley will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Stanley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Stanley is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Stanley is most common in MI (0.4 per 1,000), CO (0.4 per 1,000), MO (0.4 per 1,000), WA (0.4 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Stanley is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Stanley
Statistically, parents drawn to Stanley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jeffrey, Rodney, Joey, Mickey, and Danny.
JeffreyRodneyJoeyMickeyDannyRickyRandyJimmy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Stanley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 278 | #863 |
| 2024 | 278 | #869 |
| 2023 | 304 | #807 |
| 2022 | 325 | #777 |
| 2021 | 312 | #788 |
| 2020 | 335 | #734 |
| 2019 | 377 | #680 |
| 2018 | 344 | #703 |
| 2017 | 351 | #702 |
| 2016 | 367 | #683 |
| 2015 | 365 | #687 |
| 2014 | 372 | #680 |
| 2013 | 355 | #679 |
| 2012 | 315 | #735 |
| 2011 | 348 | #676 |
| 2010 | 347 | #681 |
| 2009 | 359 | #676 |
| 2008 | 370 | #657 |
| 2007 | 398 | #619 |
| 2006 | 404 | #600 |
| 2005 | 410 | #569 |
| 2004 | 413 | #555 |
| 2003 | 405 | #552 |
| 2002 | 472 | #487 |
| 2001 | 443 | #512 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Stanley?
In official American birth records, the name Stanley first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 65 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Stanley a popular boy name?
Stanley ranked #863 among boys in 2025 with 278 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #687.
When was the name Stanley most popular?
Stanley peaked in 1954, when 6,448 American boys received the name (ranked #58 that year). Since 1954 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Stanley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,475 newborn American boys was named Stanley. 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.