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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202006girlsat 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——
1977——
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 2006

  • 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: #303 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,514 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedIDMontana: #235 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 869 boysMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #409 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,797 boysMNIllinois: #687 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 5,499 boysILWisconsin: #430 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,991 boysWIMichigan: #572 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 4,517 boysMINew York: #900 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 8,426 boysNYMassachusetts: #596 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,485 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedRIOregon: #266 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,197 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: #384 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,420 boysIAIndiana: #661 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 5,540 boysINOhio: #656 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 6,041 boysOHPennsylvania: #687 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 6,450 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #581 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 5,539 boysCAUtah: #286 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,370 boysUTColorado: #330 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,780 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNEMissouri: #343 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,186 boysMOKentucky: #351 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,399 boysKYWest Virginia: #274 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,754 boysWVVirginia: #627 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 4,885 boysVAMaryland: #647 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,018 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedDEArizona: #529 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 4,119 boysAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedNMKansas: #458 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,804 boysKSArkansas: #152 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 625 boysARTennessee: #252 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 1,338 boysTNNorth Carolina: #727 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 6,054 boysNCSouth Carolina: #492 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,832 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named River, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #306 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,436 boysOKLouisiana: #654 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,183 boysLAMississippi: #557 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,207 boysMSAlabama: #450 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,807 boysALGeorgia: #568 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 3,902 boysGAHawaii: #269 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,020 boysHITexas: #606 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 5,036 boysTXFlorida: #613 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 4,698 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Arkansas#152 · 1 in 625
  2. Montana#235 · 1 in 869
  3. Tennessee#252 · 1 in 1,338
  4. Oregon#266 · 1 in 1,197
  5. Hawaii#269 · 1 in 1,020

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#152251 in 625
Montana#23551 in 869
Tennessee#252281 in 1,338
Oregon#266171 in 1,197
Hawaii#26951 in 1,020
West Virginia#27451 in 1,754
Utah#286171 in 1,370
Washington#303241 in 1,514
Oklahoma#306151 in 1,436
Colorado#330171 in 1,780
Missouri#343161 in 2,186
Kentucky#351101 in 2,399
Iowa#38471 in 2,420
Minnesota#409111 in 2,797
Wisconsin#430101 in 2,991
Alabama#45091 in 2,807
Kansas#45861 in 2,804
South Carolina#49281 in 2,832
Arizona#529111 in 4,119
Mississippi#55751 in 3,207
Georgia#568161 in 3,902
Michigan#572121 in 4,517
California#581471 in 5,539
Massachusetts#59661 in 5,485
Texas#606371 in 5,036
Florida#613221 in 4,698
Virginia#62791 in 4,885
Maryland#64761 in 5,018
Louisiana#65461 in 4,183
Ohio#656111 in 6,041
Indiana#66171 in 5,540
Illinois#687141 in 5,499
Pennsylvania#687101 in 6,450
North Carolina#72791 in 6,054
New York#900131 in 8,426
Alaska———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Idaho———
Maine———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
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 2006

girls
#1,295
181 births · 1 in 10,504 girls
boys
#513
505 births · 1 in 4,070 boys

Top girls' names in 2006

  1. #1Emily21,412
  2. #2Emma19,133
  3. #3Madison18,635
  4. #4Isabella18,231
  5. #5Ava16,941
  6. #6Abigail15,633
  7. #7Olivia15,508
  8. #8Hannah14,556
  9. #9Sophia13,503
  10. #10Samantha12,470
  11. #1,295River181

Top boys' names in 2006

  1. #1Jacob24,871
  2. #2Michael22,653
  3. #3Joshua22,336
  4. #4Ethan20,522
  5. #5Matthew20,339
  6. #6Daniel20,082
  7. #7Andrew19,733
  8. #8Christopher19,688
  9. #9Anthony19,413
  10. #10William18,965
  11. #513River505
More about 2006

girls

1,901,209 girls got a published name in 2006; 1 in 10,504 of them was named River, which outranked 93.5% of the 20,064 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside River
  1. #1,291Shiloh183
  2. #1,293Danae182
  3. #1,293Jamaya182
  4. #1,295River181
  5. #1,295Ania181
  6. #1,295Brionna181
  7. #1,295Jaedyn181
  8. #1,299Annamarie180
  9. #1,299Dalila180
  10. #1,299Kai180

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

Biggest movers since 2005
Risers
  1. ↑ 8,571Bethzy#9,452 → #881
  2. ↑ 1,747Rihanna#2,278 → #531
  3. ↑ 965Yaretzi#1,803 → #838
  4. ↑ 921Betsy#1,668 → #747
  5. ↑ 612Evangeline#1,210 → #598
Fallers
  1. ↓ 2,134Mikalah#806 → #2,940
  2. ↓ 1,275Jolette#954 → #2,229
  3. ↓ 756Karol#818 → #1,574
  4. ↓ 446Litzy#388 → #834
  5. ↓ 305Devon#963 → #1,268

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

boys

2,055,273 boys got a published name in 2006; 1 in 4,070 of them was named River, which outranked 96.3% of the 14,047 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 10.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside River
  1. #510Toby508
  2. #511Willie507
  3. #511Wilson507
  4. #513River505
  5. #513Colten505
  6. #515Cyrus502
  7. #516Reginald500
  8. #516Terrell500

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

Biggest movers since 2005
Risers
  1. ↑ 792Bode#1,648 → #856
  2. ↑ 790Talen#1,691 → #901
  3. ↑ 677Kingston#1,603 → #926
  4. ↑ 634Imanol#1,619 → #985
  5. ↑ 590Yandel#1,266 → #676
Fallers
  1. ↓ 2,208Baby#945 → #3,153
  2. ↓ 609Kanye#892 → #1,501
  3. ↓ 442Amarion#628 → #1,070
  4. ↓ 308Omarion#420 → #728
  5. ↓ 224Johnpaul#739 → #963

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

See the top 100 for 2006 →