Susan
Girl name · #1085 in 2025 · Uniqueness 67/100
Susan ranks #1085 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 222 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #911, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,108 girls born in 2025 was named Susan.
The 145-year story
Susan first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 286 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1955, when 47,418 girls were named Susan — good for #5 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.
Babies named Susan per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Susan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Susan in class?
Susan scores 67 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Susan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Susan is most common
Geography matters for names, and Susan is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Susans were PA (26), OH (19), CA (17), TX (17), NY (16). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Susan
Statistically, parents drawn to Susan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sharon, Karen, Ann, Sandra, and Robin.
SharonKarenAnnSandraRobinJoanSallyAnita
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Susan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 222 | #1085 |
| 2024 | 216 | #1120 |
| 2023 | 223 | #1098 |
| 2022 | 212 | #1145 |
| 2021 | 226 | #1095 |
| 2020 | 262 | #972 |
| 2019 | 245 | #1045 |
| 2018 | 235 | #1080 |
| 2017 | 276 | #959 |
| 2016 | 306 | #909 |
| 2015 | 301 | #911 |
| 2014 | 327 | #844 |
| 2013 | 319 | #833 |
| 2012 | 329 | #814 |
| 2011 | 357 | #765 |
| 2010 | 356 | #769 |
| 2009 | 380 | #747 |
| 2008 | 432 | #699 |
| 2007 | 468 | #635 |
| 2006 | 497 | #586 |
| 2005 | 487 | #585 |
| 2004 | 536 | #530 |
| 2003 | 576 | #498 |
| 2002 | 615 | #464 |
| 2001 | 639 | #434 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Susan a popular girl name?
Susan ranked #1085 among girls in 2025 with 222 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #911.
When was the name Susan most popular?
Susan peaked in 1955, when 47,418 American girls received the name (ranked #5 that year). Since 1955 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Susan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,108 newborn American girls was named Susan. It scores 67/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.