How Rare Is My Name? Name Rarity Checker
Enter any first name to get its rarity score (0–100), its tier from Very Common to Very Rare, and the exact '1 in X Americans' figure.
Free · No sign-up · Your search is never stored. Estimates from SSA birth records (1880–2024) and U.S. Census surname data.
How the rarity score works
The score is built from one honest number: the estimated number of living Americans who carry the name today. We take SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjust every birth year for survival to the present day, and compare the result with the full U.S. population. A score near 0 means millions share the name; a score near 100 means you may be one of a handful.
The 5 rarity tiers
| Tier | Living U.S. bearers | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Very Common | 1,000,000+ | A household name — James, Michael, Mary territory |
| Common | 500,000 – 999,999 | You will meet others with this name regularly |
| Uncommon | 100,000 – 499,999 | Recognisable, but not everywhere |
| Rare | 10,000 – 99,999 | Most people you meet will not share it |
| Very Rare | Under 10,000 | Genuinely distinctive in the U.S. — most of the 104,819 recorded names sit here |
Why spelling changes everything
The SSA tracks every spelling separately. Sophia and Sofia are pronounced the same but counted apart, and Sofia scores noticeably rarer. Always check your exact spelling first — then try the variants to see the full picture. If your name returns no result at all, it was likely given to fewer than five babies in every recorded year, which means it may be unique in America.
Full name vs first name rarity
A common first name can still produce a rare full name when paired with an uncommon surname. Add your last name in the tool above to see the estimated number of people who share the exact combination. For the surname on its own, use the last name frequency checker.