Whitman
Boy name · #3463 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Whitman? In official American birth records, Whitman has been tracked continuously since 1909, giving it 116 years of documented American history.
Whitman is currently the #3463 boy name in the United States — 33 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3513, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 54,545 boys born in 2025 was named Whitman.
Babies named Whitman per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 116-year story
Whitman first appears in the Social Security records in 1909, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2018, when 39 boys were named Whitman — good for #2994 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Whitman against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Whitman in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Whitman is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Whitman will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Whitman is most common
State-level data for Whitman 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).
Names like Whitman
Statistically, parents drawn to Whitman tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nachman, Chapman, Salman, Kalman, and Othman.
NachmanChapmanSalmanKalmanOthmanUthmanLuqmanSulayman
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Whitman | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | #3450 |
| 2024 | 26 | #4072 |
| 2023 | 28 | #3883 |
| 2022 | 26 | #4089 |
| 2021 | 25 | #4118 |
| 2020 | 29 | #3653 |
| 2019 | 32 | #3496 |
| 2018 | 39 | #2994 |
| 2017 | 36 | #3193 |
| 2016 | 36 | #3161 |
| 2015 | 31 | #3513 |
| 2014 | 25 | #4014 |
| 2013 | 35 | #3122 |
| 2012 | 26 | #3894 |
| 2011 | 24 | #4110 |
| 2010 | 24 | #4099 |
| 2009 | 18 | #5102 |
| 2008 | 23 | #4267 |
| 2007 | 23 | #4243 |
| 2006 | 14 | #5781 |
| 2005 | 11 | #6634 |
| 2004 | 14 | #5492 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5271 |
| 2002 | 6 | #9392 |
| 2001 | 16 | #4676 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Whitman?
In official American birth records, the name Whitman first appeared in 1909 (over 116 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 116 years.
Is Whitman a popular boy name?
Whitman ranked #3463 among boys in 2025 with 33 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3513.
When was the name Whitman most popular?
Whitman peaked in 2018, when 39 American boys received the name (ranked #2994 that year). Since 2018 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Whitman?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 54,545 newborn American boys was named Whitman. 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.