Townsend
Boy name · #3251 in 2025 · Uniqueness 47/100
In 2025, 36 baby boys were named Townsend, placing it at #3251 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #5058, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 50,000 boys born in 2025 was named Townsend.
Babies named Townsend per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 111-year story
Townsend first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 36 babies and a rank of #3240. 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 Townsend against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Townsend in class?
Townsend scores 47 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Townsend is most common
State-level data for Townsend is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Townsend
Statistically, parents drawn to Townsend tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alegend, Redmond, Sheppard, Kyland, and Copeland.
AlegendRedmondSheppardKylandCopelandTakariRaylandTilden
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Townsend | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | #3240 |
| 2024 | 27 | #3986 |
| 2023 | 23 | #4456 |
| 2022 | 27 | #3995 |
| 2021 | 30 | #3651 |
| 2020 | 15 | #5699 |
| 2019 | 27 | #3899 |
| 2018 | 20 | #4739 |
| 2017 | 12 | #6685 |
| 2016 | 19 | #4943 |
| 2015 | 18 | #5058 |
| 2014 | 17 | #5252 |
| 2013 | 24 | #4064 |
| 2012 | 15 | #5720 |
| 2011 | 21 | #4509 |
| 2010 | 17 | #5251 |
| 2009 | 16 | #5554 |
| 2008 | 12 | #6763 |
| 2007 | 14 | #5901 |
| 2006 | 13 | #6094 |
| 2005 | 10 | #7096 |
| 2004 | 8 | #8143 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7831 |
| 2002 | 5 | #10667 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7536 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Townsend a popular boy name?
Townsend ranked #3251 among boys in 2025 with 36 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5058.
When was the name Townsend most popular?
Townsend peaked in 2025, when 36 American boys received the name (ranked #3240 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Townsend?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 50,000 newborn American boys was named Townsend. It scores 47/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.