Chance

#5,554 for girls in 2025, 22 births · #442 for boys in 2025, 711 births
Given to boys 97.5% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1996 · 2,243 births
Debut · boys
5 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
54,622
since 1883

Chance over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Chance has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201984peak #154, 1996boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#5,55422#442711
2024#4,77228#418762
2023#4,87327#377853
2022#5,46523#340985
2021#4,09035#3221,035
2020#5,85020#2791,202
2019#4,54630#2841,214
2018#4,00136#2701,321
2017#4,92227#2681,347
2016#4,34533#2721,347
2015#4,72529#2501,467
2014#4,26934#2441,534
2013#4,24334#2371,520
2012#4,70730#2381,513
2011#5,35825#2151,635
2010#5,10827#2441,440
2009#8,05815#2361,521
2008#5,14228#2501,403
2007#4,13137#2441,472
2006#3,66942#2741,269
2005#3,94236#2581,275
2004#3,07150#2501,321
2003#3,29144#2401,392
2002#4,28029#2331,450
2001#3,70335#2241,542
2000#3,98331#2121,694
1999#2,73750#2231,510
1998#2,75648#2091,542
1997#2,93441#1911,715
1996#2,51050#1542,243
1995#3,15236#1891,631
1994#2,98839#2161,347
1993#3,35133#301909
1992#4,68621#329773
1991#4,49722#328767
1990#4,38022#316794
1989#5,04917#327711
1988#5,59814#340622
1987#4,66017#358544
1986#5,75712#368508
1985#9,3076#313650
1984#4,16618#250879
1983#5,82411#556230
1982#9,2376#636186
1981#5,88511#621189
1980#5,54412#605207
1979#5,09213#514268
1978#5,56311#469296
1977#5,88810#695149
1976#6,6118#700140
1975#4,14115#611178
1974#4,04115#587184
1973#7,4356#689134
1972—#610167
1971#7,3886#586197
1970#7,9955#727127
1969—#694130
1968—#91063
1967#6,0426#720106
1966—#1,02750
1965—#1,27136
1964—#1,08249
1963—#1,05252
1962—#1,29536
1961—#3,0978
1960—#3,6656
1959—#3,2907
1958——
1957—#3,9935
1956—#3,9425
1955—#3,8865
1954——
1953——
1952——
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1950——
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1947—#3,0967
1946——
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1944—#2,6338
1943—#3,5385
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1924—#3,8676
1923——
1922—#3,8726
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1915—#3,8255
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1883—#8925
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First appearance
1883

The first year at least five boys were named Chance! It came in at #892, and was given to 5 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1883–1921, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where Chance is popular in 1984

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #154 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 833 boysAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedNHWashington: #184 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 1,425 boysWAIdaho: #76 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 320 boysIDMontana: #61 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 223 boysMTNorth Dakota: #94 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 455 boysNDMinnesota: #316 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,266 boysMNIllinois: #421 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 4,548 boysILWisconsin: #336 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,859 boysWIMichigan: #494 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 7,962 boysMINew York: #693 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 10,622 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedRIOregon: #159 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,168 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedNVWyoming: #77 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 334 boysWYSouth Dakota: #99 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 437 boysSDIowa: #175 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,549 boysIAIndiana: #169 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,454 boysINOhio: #368 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 5,102 boysOHPennsylvania: #472 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 8,418 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #493 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 5,899 boysCAUtah: #112 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 587 boysUTColorado: #164 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 1,131 boysCONebraska: #117 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 745 boysNEMissouri: #145 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 1,018 boysMOKentucky: #254 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,736 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedWVVirginia: #315 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 3,267 boysVAMaryland: #331 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,816 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedDEArizona: #255 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,774 boysAZNew Mexico: #108 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 495 boysNMKansas: #122 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 697 boysKSArkansas: #126 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 690 boysARTennessee: #282 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,617 boysTNNorth Carolina: #360 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,909 boysNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #89 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 446 boysOKLouisiana: #215 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 1,196 boysLAMississippi: #190 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,115 boysMSAlabama: #317 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,817 boysALGeorgia: #358 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 3,474 boysGAHawaii: #173 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 881 boysHITexas: #144 for boys · 192 births · 1 in 744 boysTXFlorida: #364 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 3,391 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Montana#61 · 1 in 223
  2. Idaho#76 · 1 in 320
  3. Wyoming#77 · 1 in 334
  4. Oklahoma#89 · 1 in 446
  5. North Dakota#94 · 1 in 455

Best ever in a state: #50 in Wyoming, 1996.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Montana#61261 in 223
Idaho#76241 in 320
Wyoming#77111 in 334
Oklahoma#89541 in 446
North Dakota#94121 in 455
South Dakota#99121 in 437
New Mexico#108231 in 495
Utah#112301 in 587
Nebraska#117161 in 745
Kansas#122251 in 697
Arkansas#126221 in 690
Texas#1441921 in 744
Missouri#145351 in 1,018
Alaska#15461 in 833
Oregon#159161 in 1,168
Colorado#164221 in 1,131
Indiana#169261 in 1,454
Hawaii#17381 in 881
Iowa#175131 in 1,549
Washington#184221 in 1,425
Mississippi#190161 in 1,115
Louisiana#215301 in 1,196
Kentucky#25491 in 2,736
Arizona#255141 in 1,774
Tennessee#282121 in 2,617
Virginia#315111 in 3,267
Minnesota#31661 in 5,266
Alabama#31791 in 2,817
Maryland#33171 in 3,816
Wisconsin#33671 in 4,859
Georgia#358121 in 3,474
North Carolina#360101 in 3,909
Florida#364211 in 3,391
Ohio#368151 in 5,102
Illinois#421181 in 4,548
Pennsylvania#47291 in 8,418
California#493361 in 5,899
Michigan#49481 in 7,962
New York#693111 in 10,622
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Maine———
Massachusetts———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Vermont———
West Virginia———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Chance
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 24 spots since 2024 (#418 → #442)
  • 163 spots since 2020 (#279 → #442)
  • 192 spots since 2015 (#250 → #442)
  • Biggest jump: 307 spots in 1967 (#1,027 → #720)
  • Biggest drop: 190 spots in 1968 (#720 → #910)
Rise & fade · boys
113 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1883
  • Peaked 1996 at #154 (2,243 births)
  • Births halved by 2021, 25 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 60 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 60 yrs · run 1967–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 845
  • Highest: 1 in 845 boys born in 1996 were named Chance (0.12%)
  • Latest: 1 in 2,402 boys born in 2025 (0.04%)
Era · boys
The 2000s
  • 26.3% of all boys named Chance (14,339) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s5#892 (1883)#892
1890s0——
1900s0——
1910s5#3,825 (1915)#3,825
1920s12#3,867 (1924)#3,870
1930s0——
1940s20#2,633 (1944)#3,089
1950s22#3,290 (1959)#3,778
1960s536#694 (1969)#1,481
1970s1,840#469 (1978)#619
1980s4,726#250 (1984)#437
1990s13,231#154 (1996)#246
2000s14,339#212 (2000)#242
2010s14,338#215 (2011)#252
2020s5,548#279 (2020)#363

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Chance in 1984

girls
#4,166
18 births · 1 in 93,545 girls
boys
#250
879 births · 1 in 2,053 boys

Top girls' names in 1984

  1. #1Jennifer50,564
  2. #2Jessica45,857
  3. #3Ashley38,773
  4. #4Amanda33,915
  5. #5Sarah25,887
  6. #6Stephanie23,025
  7. #7Nicole22,270
  8. #8Melissa21,896
  9. #9Heather21,489
  10. #10Elizabeth20,360
  11. #4,166Chance18

Top boys' names in 1984

  1. #1Michael67,735
  2. #2Christopher60,021
  3. #3Matthew49,767
  4. #4Joshua40,266
  5. #5David38,492
  6. #6Daniel36,531
  7. #7James35,859
  8. #8John32,610
  9. #9Robert31,768
  10. #10Joseph30,513
  11. #250Chance879
More about 1984

girls

1,683,817 girls got a published name in 1984; 1 in 93,545 of them was named Chance, which outranked 65.8% of the 12,181 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Chance
  1. #3,990Vashti19
  2. #3,990Vasiliki19
  3. #3,990Yamilet19
  4. #4,166Chance18
  5. #4,166Allisa18
  6. #4,166Allyn18
  7. #4,166Alonda18
  8. #4,318Adora17
  9. #4,318Adriel17
  10. #4,318Aisling17

Tied with 151 names at #4,166; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1983
Risers
  1. ↑ 8,259Santana#9,015 → #756
  2. ↑ 2,419Tasia#3,151 → #732
  3. ↑ 2,198Teela#3,065 → #867
  4. ↑ 1,074Grisel#1,858 → #784
  5. ↑ 894Kaylee#1,715 → #821
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,856Dwan#874 → #2,730
  2. ↓ 720Toccara#937 → #1,657
  3. ↓ 713Kaleena#547 → #1,260
  4. ↓ 303Karie#1,000 → #1,303
  5. ↓ 300Karyn#820 → #1,120

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,804,848 boys got a published name in 1984; 1 in 2,053 of them was named Chance, which outranked 96.6% of the 7,341 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Chance
  1. #247Cedric885
  2. #247Stanley885
  3. #249Erick880
  4. #250Chance879
  5. #251Tristan873
  6. #252Cesar863
  7. #253Dwayne861
Biggest movers since 1983
Risers
  1. ↑ 958Ryne#1,562 → #604
  2. ↑ 472Rachel#1,448 → #976
  3. ↑ 399Zebulon#1,375 → #976
  4. ↑ 359Travon#1,327 → #968
  5. ↑ 347Mackenzie#1,347 → #1,000
Fallers
  1. ↓ 741Trumaine#949 → #1,690
  2. ↓ 422Basil#1,000 → #1,422
  3. ↓ 240Alfonzo#1,000 → #1,240
  4. ↓ 208Jasen#804 → #1,012
  5. ↓ 205Woodrow#949 → #1,154

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1984 →