Promise

#823 for girls in 2025, 330 births · #5,208 for boys in 2025, 18 births
Given to girls 94.0% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
2023 · 395 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
6,426
since 1975

Promise over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202016girlsat peakboysat peak
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#823330#5,20818
2024#819337#4,70121
2023#714395#4,00227
2022#779365#3,15138
2021#730390#5,11018
2020#852319#4,02025
2019#843320#3,89927
2018#909295#5,32017
2017#1,058242#4,59421
2016#1,171215#7,60510
2015#1,068246#5,05818
2014#1,040249#7,04811
2013#1,116218#5,40416
2012#1,162211#8,1589
2011#1,127217#8,0799
2010#1,130217#5,04718
2009#1,228203#6,09514
2008#1,238203#6,07014
2007#1,354179#7,59010
2006#1,480149#7,42710
2005#1,704116#7,6409
2004#1,781107#7,5369
2003#1,87498#7,8318
2002#2,35268#7,6438
2001#1,79599#9,2436
2000#2,15874#9,1126
1999#2,40561#9,9125
1998#2,33860—
1997#2,32857—
1996#2,96640—
1995#2,68745#8,8685
1994#2,93540—
1993#4,10025—
1992#4,84920#8,4355
1991#6,97612—
1990#6,86712—
1989#7,44910—
1988#5,06516—
1987#3,98321—
1986#6,61210—
1985#3,62123—
1984#6,29110—
1983#4,28617—
1982#6,37110—
1981#4,74615—
1980#5,91211—
1979#6,18910—
1978#5,95810—
1977#4,42515—
1976#6,0489—
1975#9,0675—
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First appearance
1975

The first year at least five girls were named Promise! It came in at #9,067, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1975, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Promise is popular in 2016

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedMNIllinois: #990 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 5,763 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedWIMichigan: #619 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 3,236 girlsMINew York: #1,732 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 12,834 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedIAIndiana: #920 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,049 girlsINOhio: #1,282 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 8,678 girlsOHPennsylvania: #940 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 5,761 girlsPANew Jersey: #940 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 5,225 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #2,000 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 18,520 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedWVVirginia: #655 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,376 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedKSArkansas: #553 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,257 girlsARTennessee: #844 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,434 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #1,096 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 6,473 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #660 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,976 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedMSAlabama: #672 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,229 girlsALGeorgia: #431 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 2,002 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Promise, so not publishedHITexas: #1,225 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 7,966 girlsTXFlorida: #851 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 4,817 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Georgia#431 · 1 in 2,002
  2. Arkansas#553 · 1 in 2,257
  3. Michigan#619 · 1 in 3,236
  4. Virginia#655 · 1 in 3,376
  5. South Carolina#660 · 1 in 2,976

Best ever in a state: #170 in District of Columbia, 2022.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Georgia#431241 in 2,002
Arkansas#55351 in 2,257
Michigan#619131 in 3,236
Virginia#655111 in 3,376
South Carolina#66061 in 2,976
Alabama#67261 in 3,229
Tennessee#84471 in 4,434
Florida#851181 in 4,817
Indiana#92061 in 5,049
New Jersey#94071 in 5,225
Pennsylvania#94091 in 5,761
Illinois#990101 in 5,763
North Carolina#1,09671 in 6,473
Texas#1,225211 in 7,966
Ohio#1,28261 in 8,678
New York#1,73271 in 12,834
California#2,000111 in 18,520
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Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls 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 Promise
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 4 spots since 2024 (#819 → #823)
  • 29 spots since 2020 (#852 → #823)
  • 245 spots since 2015 (#1,068 → #823)
  • Biggest jump: 149 spots in 2018 (#1,058 → #909)
  • Biggest drop: 105 spots in 2024 (#714 → #819)
Rise & fade · girls
48 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1975
  • Peaked 2023 at #714 (395 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 8 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 8 yrs · run 2018–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 4,062
  • Highest: 1 in 4,062 girls born in 2023 were named Promise (0.02%)
  • Latest: 1 in 4,871 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
Era · girls
The 2010s
  • 37.8% of all girls named Promise (2,430) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Never flipped
  • The majority has never changed
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1970s49#4,425 (1977)#6,337
1980s143#3,621 (1985)#5,434
1990s372#2,328 (1997)#3,845
2000s1,296#1,228 (2009)#1,696
2010s2,430#843 (2019)#1,062
2020s2,136#714 (2023)#786

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

Promise in 2016

girls
#1,171
215 births · 1 in 8,242 girls
boys
#7,605
10 births · 1 in 189,774 boys

Top girls' names in 2016

  1. #1Emma19,550
  2. #2Olivia19,414
  3. #3Ava16,354
  4. #4Sophia16,185
  5. #5Isabella14,863
  6. #6Mia14,464
  7. #7Charlotte13,118
  8. #8Abigail11,796
  9. #9Emily11,006
  10. #10Amelia10,809
  11. #1,171Promise215

Top boys' names in 2016

  1. #1Noah19,188
  2. #2Liam18,277
  3. #3William15,810
  4. #4Mason15,287
  5. #5James14,920
  6. #6Benjamin14,686
  7. #7Jacob14,559
  8. #8Michael14,145
  9. #9Elijah13,982
  10. #10Ethan13,855
  11. #7,605Promise10
More about 2016

girls

1,772,022 girls got a published name in 2016; 1 in 8,242 of them was named Promise, which outranked 93.8% of the 18,885 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Promise
  1. #1,164Lyanna216
  2. #1,164Rebeca216
  3. #1,164Regan216
  4. #1,171Promise215
  5. #1,171Karmen215
  6. #1,173Londynn214
  7. #1,173Pyper214
  8. #1,173Sunny214

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2015
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,389Kehlani#3,254 → #865
  2. ↑ 612Royalty#1,146 → #534
  3. ↑ 481Saoirse#1,448 → #967
  4. ↑ 396Ophelia#978 → #582
  5. ↑ 364Aitana#915 → #551
Fallers
  1. ↓ 542Caitlin#610 → #1,152
  2. ↓ 451Caitlyn#598 → #1,049
  3. ↓ 397Katelynn#652 → #1,049
  4. ↓ 382Kaitlynn#989 → #1,371
  5. ↓ 340Neriah#946 → #1,286

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

boys

1,897,738 boys got a published name in 2016; 1 in 189,774 of them was named Promise, which outranked 46.5% of the 14,207 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Promise
  1. #7,157Zorian11
  2. #7,157Zuko11
  3. #7,157Zyking11
  4. #7,605Promise10
  5. #7,605Aaraf10
  6. #7,605Aaran10
  7. #7,605Abdulkareem10
  8. #8,146Aaban9
  9. #8,146Aadon9
  10. #8,146Aanav9

Tied with 540 names at #7,605; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2015
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,327Kylo#3,231 → #904
  2. ↑ 355Creed#1,340 → #985
  3. ↑ 349Benicio#1,327 → #978
  4. ↑ 303Adonis#698 → #395
  5. ↑ 291Fox#1,035 → #744
Fallers
  1. ↓ 477Jonael#922 → #1,399
  2. ↓ 238Aaden#784 → #1,022
  3. ↓ 233Triston#950 → #1,183
  4. ↓ 223Freddy#993 → #1,216
  5. ↓ 207Chace#934 → #1,141

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

See the top 100 for 2016 →