Steele
Boy name · #1185 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Steele? In official American birth records, Steele has been tracked continuously since 1920, giving it 105 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 174 baby boys were named Steele, placing it at #1185 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1588, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,345 boys born in 2025 was named Steele.
Babies named Steele per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 105-year story
Steele first appears in the Social Security records in 1920, when 11 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 174 babies and a rank of #1183. 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 Steele against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Steele in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Steele is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Steele will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Steele is most common
Geography matters for names, and Steele is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Steele is most common in GA (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Steele is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Steele
Statistically, parents drawn to Steele tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Syncere, Sultan, Slater, Shlomo, and Shmuel.
SyncereSultanSlaterShlomoShmuelWylieShimonShaya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Steele | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 174 | #1183 |
| 2024 | 137 | #1371 |
| 2023 | 143 | #1328 |
| 2022 | 120 | #1504 |
| 2021 | 112 | #1554 |
| 2020 | 106 | #1556 |
| 2019 | 104 | #1592 |
| 2018 | 133 | #1348 |
| 2017 | 147 | #1245 |
| 2016 | 134 | #1329 |
| 2015 | 101 | #1588 |
| 2014 | 94 | #1641 |
| 2013 | 89 | #1675 |
| 2012 | 92 | #1668 |
| 2011 | 71 | #1947 |
| 2010 | 53 | #2375 |
| 2009 | 54 | #2381 |
| 2008 | 51 | #2467 |
| 2007 | 53 | #2416 |
| 2006 | 51 | #2398 |
| 2005 | 44 | #2528 |
| 2004 | 37 | #2788 |
| 2003 | 57 | #2006 |
| 2002 | 46 | #2249 |
| 2001 | 42 | #2346 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Steele?
In official American birth records, the name Steele first appeared in 1920 (over 105 years ago), when 11 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 105 years.
Is Steele a popular boy name?
Steele ranked #1185 among boys in 2025 with 174 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1588.
When was the name Steele most popular?
Steele peaked in 2025, when 174 American boys received the name (ranked #1183 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Steele?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,345 newborn American boys was named Steele. 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.