French
Last seen for girls in 1920 at #4,975 · Last seen for boys in 1999 at #7,874
Given to boys 99.1% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1891 · 12 births
- Debut · boys
- 6 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 1,119since 1882
French over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. French has never cracked the top 500 here.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | — | ||
| 2024 | — | — | ||
| 2023 | — | — | ||
| 2022 | — | — | ||
| 2021 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | — | — | ||
| 2019 | — | — | ||
| 2018 | — | — | ||
| 2017 | — | — | ||
| 2016 | — | — | ||
| 2015 | — | — | ||
| 2014 | — | — | ||
| 2013 | — | — | ||
| 2012 | — | — | ||
| 2011 | — | — | ||
| 2010 | — | — | ||
| 2009 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | — | — | ||
| 2007 | — | — | ||
| 2006 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | — | — | ||
| 2004 | — | — | ||
| 2003 | — | — | ||
| 2002 | — | — | ||
| 2001 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | — | — | ||
| 1999 | — | #7,874 | 7 | |
| 1998 | — | — | ||
| 1997 | — | — | ||
| 1996 | — | — | ||
| 1995 | — | — | ||
| 1994 | — | — | ||
| 1993 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | — | — | ||
| 1991 | — | — | ||
| 1990 | — | — | ||
| 1989 | — | #7,905 | 5 | |
| 1988 | — | — | ||
| 1987 | — | — | ||
| 1986 | — | #5,332 | 7 | |
| 1985 | — | — | ||
| 1984 | — | — | ||
| 1983 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | — | — | ||
| 1980 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | — | — | ||
| 1978 | — | #4,554 | 7 | |
| 1977 | — | — | ||
| 1976 | — | #5,587 | 5 | |
| 1975 | — | #3,659 | 9 | |
| 1974 | — | — | ||
| 1973 | — | #4,505 | 6 | |
| 1972 | — | #4,441 | 6 | |
| 1971 | — | #3,963 | 7 | |
| 1970 | — | #4,230 | 6 | |
| 1969 | — | #3,595 | 7 | |
| 1968 | — | #2,735 | 10 | |
| 1967 | — | #3,966 | 5 | |
| 1966 | — | #2,784 | 9 | |
| 1965 | — | #3,537 | 6 | |
| 1964 | — | #2,665 | 10 | |
| 1963 | — | #3,044 | 8 | |
| 1962 | — | #3,640 | 6 | |
| 1961 | — | #3,097 | 8 | |
| 1960 | — | #3,665 | 6 | |
| 1959 | — | — | ||
| 1958 | — | #2,265 | 13 | |
| 1957 | — | #2,494 | 11 | |
| 1956 | — | #3,535 | 6 | |
| 1955 | — | #2,435 | 11 | |
| 1954 | — | #2,044 | 15 | |
| 1953 | — | #2,709 | 9 | |
| 1952 | — | #2,680 | 9 | |
| 1951 | — | #2,662 | 9 | |
| 1950 | — | #2,321 | 11 | |
| 1949 | — | #2,337 | 11 | |
| 1948 | — | #1,943 | 15 | |
| 1947 | — | #2,498 | 10 | |
| 1946 | — | #1,884 | 15 | |
| 1945 | — | #2,242 | 10 | |
| 1944 | — | #1,683 | 17 | |
| 1943 | — | #2,182 | 12 | |
| 1942 | — | #1,799 | 16 | |
| 1941 | — | #1,903 | 14 | |
| 1940 | — | #1,471 | 21 | |
| 1939 | — | #1,636 | 17 | |
| 1938 | — | #2,185 | 11 | |
| 1937 | — | #1,828 | 15 | |
| 1936 | — | #1,801 | 15 | |
| 1935 | — | #1,390 | 24 | |
| 1934 | — | #1,608 | 19 | |
| 1933 | — | #1,361 | 24 | |
| 1932 | — | #2,191 | 12 | |
| 1931 | — | #1,693 | 18 | |
| 1930 | — | #2,178 | 13 | |
| 1929 | — | #1,378 | 27 | |
| 1928 | — | #1,611 | 22 | |
| 1927 | — | #1,748 | 20 | |
| 1926 | — | #1,605 | 22 | |
| 1925 | — | #1,425 | 27 | |
| 1924 | — | #1,532 | 25 | |
| 1923 | — | #1,502 | 25 | |
| 1922 | — | #1,434 | 27 | |
| 1921 | — | #1,648 | 22 | |
| 1920 | #4,975 | 5 | #1,323 | 30 |
| 1919 | — | #1,695 | 20 | |
| 1918 | #4,809 | 5 | #1,313 | 29 |
| 1917 | — | #1,643 | 20 | |
| 1916 | — | #1,698 | 18 | |
| 1915 | — | #1,159 | 31 | |
| 1914 | — | #1,441 | 18 | |
| 1913 | — | #1,580 | 12 | |
| 1912 | — | #1,417 | 12 | |
| 1911 | — | #1,117 | 10 | |
| 1910 | — | #1,314 | 7 | |
| 1909 | — | — | ||
| 1908 | — | #1,373 | 5 | |
| 1907 | — | #999 | 8 | |
| 1906 | — | #1,004 | 7 | |
| 1905 | — | #1,091 | 6 | |
| 1904 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | #836 | 10 | |
| 1899 | — | #714 | 9 | |
| 1898 | — | #701 | 10 | |
| 1897 | — | #787 | 8 | |
| 1896 | — | #982 | 6 | |
| 1895 | — | #795 | 8 | |
| 1894 | — | #1,074 | 5 | |
| 1893 | — | #907 | 6 | |
| 1892 | — | #861 | 7 | |
| 1891 | — | #524 | 12 | |
| 1890 | — | #629 | 10 | |
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | #1,031 | 5 | |
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | #959 | 5 | |
| 1885 | — | #936 | 5 | |
| 1884 | — | #764 | 7 | |
| 1883 | — | #720 | 7 | |
| 1882 | — | #837 | 6 | |
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
First appearance
1882
The first year at least five boys were named French! It came in at #837, and was given to 6 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1885–1889, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.
See more about French
Momentum · boys
Faded out
- Not published in 2025; last seen 1999
- Biggest jump: 279 spots in 1895 (#1,074 → #795)
- Biggest drop: 374 spots in 1908 (#999 → #1,373)
Rise & fade · boys
9 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1882
- Peaked 1891 at #524 (12 births)
- Births halved by 1893, 2 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 16 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 16 yrs · run 1895–1900
Share of babies · boys
1 in 8,433
- Highest: 1 in 8,433 boys born in 1891 were named French (0.01%)
- Latest: 1 in 274,307 boys born in 1999 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
- 22.1% of all boys named French (247) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 35 | #720 (1883) | #875 |
| 1890s | 81 | #524 (1891) | #797 |
| 1900s | 36 | #836 (1900) | #1,061 |
| 1910s | 177 | #1,117 (1911) | #1,438 |
| 1920s | 247 | #1,323 (1920) | #1,521 |
| 1930s | 168 | #1,361 (1933) | #1,787 |
| 1940s | 141 | #1,471 (1940) | #1,994 |
| 1950s | 94 | #2,044 (1954) | #2,572 |
| 1960s | 75 | #2,665 (1964) | #3,273 |
| 1970s | 46 | #3,659 (1975) | #4,420 |
| 1980s | 12 | #5,332 (1986) | #6,619 |
| 1990s | 7 | #7,874 (1999) | #7,874 |
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.
Want to check a specific year?
See where French ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: