Ted
Boy name · #3181 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Ted? In official American birth records, Ted has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Ted is currently the #3181 boy name in the United States — 37 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2565, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 48,649 boys born in 2025 was named Ted.
The 145-year story
Ted first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 13 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1958, when 1,743 boys were named Ted — good for #173 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 Ted per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ted against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ted in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ted is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ted will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ted is most common
State-level data for Ted is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Ted
Ted belongs to the Theodore family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Theodore family went to about 17,638 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #3, versus #3181 for Ted alone.
Names like Ted
Statistically, parents drawn to Ted tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tom, Todd, Tim, Ward, and Hal.
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ted | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3181 |
| 2024 | 44 | #2873 |
| 2023 | 43 | #2895 |
| 2022 | 41 | #3003 |
| 2021 | 38 | #3121 |
| 2020 | 35 | #3202 |
| 2019 | 55 | #2421 |
| 2018 | 49 | #2579 |
| 2017 | 56 | #2319 |
| 2016 | 56 | #2335 |
| 2015 | 48 | #2565 |
| 2014 | 59 | #2256 |
| 2013 | 73 | #1915 |
| 2012 | 67 | #2049 |
| 2011 | 66 | #2035 |
| 2010 | 81 | #1806 |
| 2009 | 53 | #2401 |
| 2008 | 75 | #1916 |
| 2007 | 61 | #2185 |
| 2006 | 59 | #2176 |
| 2005 | 75 | #1752 |
| 2004 | 72 | #1748 |
| 2003 | 74 | #1673 |
| 2002 | 99 | #1332 |
| 2001 | 99 | #1316 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Ted?
In official American birth records, the name Ted first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 13 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Ted a popular boy name?
Ted ranked #3181 among boys in 2025 with 37 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2565.
When was the name Ted most popular?
Ted peaked in 1958, when 1,743 American boys received the name (ranked #173 that year). Since 1958 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ted?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 48,649 newborn American boys was named Ted. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.