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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201987peak #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
1951
1950
1949
1948
1947#3,0967
1946
1945
1944#2,6338
1943#3,5385
1942
1941
1940
1939
1938
1937
1936
1935
1934
1933
1932
1931
1930
1929
1928
1927
1926
1925
1924#3,8676
1923
1922#3,8726
1921
1920
1919
1918
1917
1916
1915#3,8255
1914
1913
1912
1911
1910
1909
1908
1907
1906
1905
1904
1903
1902
1901
1900
1899
1898
1897
1896
1895
1894
1893
1892
1891
1890
1889
1888
1887
1886
1885
1884
1883#8925
1882
1881
1880
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 1987

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedAKMaine: 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: #295 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,884 boysWAIdaho: #201 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,312 boysIDMontana: #108 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 493 boysMTNorth Dakota: #118 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 627 boysNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedMNIllinois: #552 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 6,809 boysILWisconsin: #422 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,480 boysWIMichigan: #417 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 5,386 boysMINew York: #981 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 17,948 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedRIOregon: #222 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,774 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #150 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 948 boysSDIowa: #241 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,529 boysIAIndiana: #491 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 7,386 boysINOhio: #408 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 5,867 boysOHPennsylvania: #702 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 15,519 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #523 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 5,969 boysCAUtah: #118 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 689 boysUTColorado: #177 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 1,170 boysCONebraska: #166 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,187 boysNEMissouri: #279 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,749 boysMOKentucky: #359 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,777 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedWVVirginia: #415 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 4,928 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedDEArizona: #244 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,670 boysAZNew Mexico: #217 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,139 boysNMKansas: #210 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,654 boysKSArkansas: #130 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 712 boysARTennessee: #259 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,302 boysTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #127 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 693 boysOKLouisiana: #202 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 1,038 boysLAMississippi: #307 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,046 boysMSAlabama: #387 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,617 boysALGeorgia: #316 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,680 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Chance, so not publishedHITexas: #239 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 1,393 boysTXFlorida: #469 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 4,970 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Montana#108 · 1 in 493
  2. North Dakota#118 · 1 in 627
  3. Utah#118 · 1 in 689
  4. Oklahoma#127 · 1 in 693
  5. Arkansas#130 · 1 in 712

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Montana#108101 in 493
North Dakota#11881 in 627
Utah#118231 in 689
Oklahoma#127301 in 693
Arkansas#130211 in 712
South Dakota#15051 in 948
Nebraska#16691 in 1,187
Colorado#177211 in 1,170
Idaho#20151 in 1,312
Louisiana#202311 in 1,038
Kansas#210101 in 1,654
New Mexico#217101 in 1,139
Oregon#222101 in 1,774
Texas#2391031 in 1,393
Iowa#24171 in 2,529
Arizona#244171 in 1,670
Tennessee#259141 in 2,302
Missouri#279131 in 2,749
Washington#295111 in 2,884
Mississippi#30781 in 2,046
Georgia#316171 in 2,680
Kentucky#35951 in 4,777
Alabama#38771 in 3,617
Ohio#408131 in 5,867
Virginia#41581 in 4,928
Michigan#417121 in 5,386
Wisconsin#42251 in 6,480
Florida#469161 in 4,970
Indiana#49151 in 7,386
California#523401 in 5,969
Illinois#552121 in 6,809
Pennsylvania#70251 in 15,519
New York#98171 in 17,948
Alaska
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
North Carolina
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Vermont
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 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 1987

girls
#4,660
17 births · 1 in 102,272 girls
boys
#358
544 births · 1 in 3,432 boys

Top girls' names in 1987

  1. #1Jessica55,992
  2. #2Ashley54,856
  3. #3Amanda41,786
  4. #4Jennifer32,710
  5. #5Sarah27,894
  6. #6Stephanie22,402
  7. #7Brittany22,231
  8. #8Nicole20,286
  9. #9Heather18,982
  10. #10Elizabeth18,608
  11. #4,660Chance17

Top boys' names in 1987

  1. #1Michael63,664
  2. #2Christopher54,493
  3. #3Matthew46,511
  4. #4Joshua40,002
  5. #5David36,795
  6. #6Andrew36,206
  7. #7Daniel35,876
  8. #8James32,659
  9. #9Justin31,491
  10. #10Robert30,237
  11. #358Chance544
More about 1987

girls

1,738,632 girls got a published name in 1987; 1 in 102,272 of them was named Chance, which outranked 64.9% of the 13,263 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Chance
  1. #4,474Vienna18
  2. #4,474Vivien18
  3. #4,474Yehudis18
  4. #4,660Chance17
  5. #4,660Adara17
  6. #4,660Alannah17
  7. #4,660Alejandro17
  8. #4,857Abena16
  9. #4,857Adrain16
  10. #4,857Adrielle16

Tied with 196 names at #4,660; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1986
Risers
  1. 1,808Janay#2,195#387
  2. 1,048Channing#1,638#590
  3. 786Ayla#1,380#594
  4. 714Yessenia#1,439#725
  5. 648Denisse#1,602#954
Fallers
  1. 1,153Halley#580#1,733
  2. 674Cherrelle#879#1,553
  3. 637Sharday#933#1,570
  4. 613Sharde#873#1,486
  5. 539Shardae#832#1,371

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

boys

1,866,984 boys got a published name in 1987; 1 in 3,432 of them was named Chance, which outranked 95.6% of the 8,152 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Chance
  1. #355Dwight549
  2. #356Jarrett548
  3. #357Josue547
  4. #358Chance544
  5. #359Clint542
  6. #360Kendall540
  7. #361Allan539
Biggest movers since 1986
Risers
  1. 994Trevin#1,962#968
  2. 819Conner#1,617#798
  3. 593Mychal#1,363#770
  4. 503Jaren#1,457#954
  5. 457Corbin#1,049#592
Fallers
  1. 623Durell#816#1,439
  2. 336Jayce#694#1,030
  3. 267Rasheed#921#1,188
  4. 263Deshaun#971#1,234
  5. 260Britt#880#1,140

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

See the top 100 for 1987