River

#219 for girls in 2025, 1,401 births · #111 for boys in 2025, 3,139 births
Given to boys 66.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2022 · 3,500 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
39,676
since 1971

River over time

girlsboys

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

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201999girlsat 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#2191,401#1113,139
2024#2151,442#1123,160
2023#1921,587#1163,117
2022#1501,930#1053,500
2021#1491,886#1103,504
2020#1841,562#1292,816
2019#2111,441#1682,371
2018#2441,333#1972,078
2017#2701,181#2001,969
2016#2831,132#2121,852
2015#348951#2431,516
2014#453708#2871,243
2013#585488#371830
2012#683412#403722
2011#891293#424645
2010#973262#432634
2009#949281#448619
2008#1,049249#454611
2007#1,129229#553464
2006#1,295181#513505
2005#2,03092#517476
2004#1,883100#549420
2003#2,32172#570388
2002#2,37967#610329
2001#2,23672#607323
2000#2,81751#611314
1999#2,56755#559359
1998#2,57053#496435
1997#2,73345#518389
1996#3,23736#632269
1995#4,09925#619278
1994#7,09712#924141
1993#7,03812#1,63854
1992#10,4797#2,08537
1991#6,97612#2,46928
1990#7,88010#2,17033
1989—#1,85840
1988#11,7985#3,70513
1987—#3,52113
1986—#6,7215
1985——
1984——
1983——
1982—#5,6196
1981—#6,2625
1980——
1979——
1978——
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1976——
1975—#4,3097
1974—#5,2275
1973——
1972—#3,6228
1971—#4,3756
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First appearance
1971

The first year at least five boys were named River! It came in at #4,375, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1973–1974, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where River is popular in 1999

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNHWashington: #328 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,033 boysWAIdaho: #268 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,274 boysIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #539 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 5,814 boysMNIllinois: #793 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 8,867 boysILWisconsin: #559 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 5,857 boysWIMichigan: #477 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 4,204 boysMINew York: #1,123 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 14,217 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedRIOregon: #306 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,800 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedIAIndiana: #368 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,956 boysINOhio: #552 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 6,307 boysOHPennsylvania: #640 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 7,339 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #672 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 8,060 boysCAUtah: #397 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,576 boysUTColorado: #422 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,032 boysCONebraska: #283 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,674 boysNEMissouri: #513 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,877 boysMOKentucky: #342 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,932 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedDEArizona: #680 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 7,237 boysAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedKSArkansas: #286 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,596 boysARTennessee: #459 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 4,018 boysTNNorth Carolina: #472 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 3,786 boysNCSouth Carolina: #435 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,938 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #296 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,686 boysOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedLAMississippi: #499 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,042 boysMSAlabama: #469 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,563 boysALGeorgia: #508 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 3,843 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedHITexas: #576 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 5,488 boysTXFlorida: #389 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 2,714 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Idaho#268 · 1 in 1,274
  2. Nebraska#283 · 1 in 1,674
  3. Arkansas#286 · 1 in 1,596
  4. Oklahoma#296 · 1 in 1,686
  5. Oregon#306 · 1 in 1,800

Best ever in a state: #20 in West Virginia, 2024.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Idaho#26861 in 1,274
Nebraska#28361 in 1,674
Arkansas#28691 in 1,596
Oklahoma#296121 in 1,686
Oregon#306111 in 1,800
Washington#328171 in 2,033
Kentucky#34281 in 2,932
Indiana#368131 in 2,956
Florida#389321 in 2,714
Utah#39781 in 2,576
Colorado#42291 in 3,032
South Carolina#43571 in 2,938
Tennessee#45991 in 4,018
Alabama#46971 in 3,563
North Carolina#472131 in 3,786
Michigan#477141 in 4,204
Mississippi#49951 in 3,042
Georgia#508141 in 3,843
Missouri#51371 in 4,877
Minnesota#53951 in 5,814
Ohio#552111 in 6,307
Wisconsin#55951 in 5,857
Texas#576301 in 5,488
Pennsylvania#64091 in 7,339
California#672301 in 8,060
Arizona#68051 in 7,237
Illinois#79391 in 8,867
New York#1,12381 in 14,217
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Massachusetts———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
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North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
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Virginia———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

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 River
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#112 → #111)
  • 18 spots since 2020 (#129 → #111)
  • 132 spots since 2015 (#243 → #111)
  • Biggest jump: 714 spots in 1994 (#1,638 → #924)
  • Biggest drop: 63 spots in 1999 (#496 → #559)
Rise & fade · boys
51 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1971
  • Peaked 2022 at #105 (3,500 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 32 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 32 yrs · run 1994–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 499
  • Highest: 1 in 499 boys born in 2022 were named River (0.20%)
  • Latest: 1 in 544 boys born in 2025 (0.18%)
Era · boys
The 2020s
  • 48.5% of all boys named River (19,236) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Never flipped
  • The majority has never changed
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1970s26#3,622 (1972)#4,383
1980s82#1,858 (1989)#4,614
1990s2,023#496 (1998)#1,211
2000s4,449#448 (2009)#543
2010s13,860#168 (2019)#294
2020s19,236#105 (2022)#114

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.

River in 1999

girls
#2,567
55 births · 1 in 32,251 girls
boys
#559
359 births · 1 in 5,349 boys

Top girls' names in 1999

  1. #1Emily26,542
  2. #2Hannah21,679
  3. #3Alexis19,237
  4. #4Sarah19,119
  5. #5Samantha19,044
  6. #6Ashley18,136
  7. #7Madison18,054
  8. #8Taylor16,906
  9. #9Jessica16,350
  10. #10Elizabeth15,350
  11. #2,567River55

Top boys' names in 1999

  1. #1Jacob35,371
  2. #2Michael33,915
  3. #3Matthew30,418
  4. #4Joshua27,265
  5. #5Nicholas25,639
  6. #6Christopher25,604
  7. #7Andrew23,866
  8. #8Joseph23,220
  9. #9Daniel22,704
  10. #10Tyler22,669
  11. #559River359
More about 1999

girls

1,773,823 girls got a published name in 1999; 1 in 32,251 of them was named River, which outranked 84.9% of the 16,947 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 10.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside River
  1. #2,527Tressa56
  2. #2,527Violeta56
  3. #2,527Yara56
  4. #2,567River55
  5. #2,567Abigael55
  6. #2,567Anthony55
  7. #2,567Arriana55
  8. #2,610Alba54
  9. #2,610Aleisha54
  10. #2,610Amiah54

Tied with 42 names at #2,567; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1998
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,407Citlalli#2,338 → #931
  2. ↑ 1,329Noelia#2,048 → #719
  3. ↑ 1,060Amaya#1,458 → #398
  4. ↑ 864Kyara#1,789 → #925
  5. ↑ 604Journey#1,557 → #953
Fallers
  1. ↓ 579Erykah#779 → #1,358
  2. ↓ 417Tea#747 → #1,164
  3. ↓ 415Tasia#800 → #1,215
  4. ↓ 406Monika#930 → #1,336
  5. ↓ 357Chase#952 → #1,309

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

boys

1,920,150 boys got a published name in 1999; 1 in 5,349 of them was named River, which outranked 95.2% of the 11,614 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 14.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside River
  1. #555Infant361
  2. #555Nigel361
  3. #558Humberto360
  4. #559River359
  5. #560Koby358
  6. #561Dayton356
  7. #561Ezequiel356
Biggest movers since 1998
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,239Trajan#2,235 → #996
  2. ↑ 669Tyreese#1,558 → #889
  3. ↑ 595Latrell#1,231 → #636
  4. ↑ 420Zion#694 → #274
  5. ↑ 414Xander#1,338 → #924
Fallers
  1. ↓ 381Jaret#555 → #936
  2. ↓ 362Kordell#841 → #1,203
  3. ↓ 313Juwan#524 → #837
  4. ↓ 296Jarett#743 → #1,039
  5. ↓ 288Christion#989 → #1,277

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

See the top 100 for 1999 →