Galen

Last seen for girls in 2005 at #14,502 · #4,396 for boys in 2025, 23 births
Given to boys 96.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1949 · 433 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
16,500
since 1889

Galen over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Galen has never cracked the top 300 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201947peak #329, 1949boys
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#4,39623
2024#2,75047
2023#3,17738
2022#2,61651
2021#2,77545
2020#2,72845
2019#2,62649
2018#2,32557
2017#2,34555
2016#3,44132
2015#2,60047
2014#2,17562
2013#2,46150
2012#2,32655
2011#3,43431
2010#2,21259
2009#2,48651
2008#2,29157
2007#2,64346
2006#2,01066
2005#14,5026#1,67480
2004#1,55585
2003#12,4087#1,42093
2002#9,48210#1,303103
2001#13,5216#1,35794
2000#1,175116
1999#8,22311#1,095122
1998#5,36319#1,017133
1997#5,62617#1,110114
1996#5,77116#914143
1995#5,67716#887152
1994#5,98415#881151
1993#4,10025#858152
1992#4,23624#867148
1991#7,98710#827156
1990#4,86819#766176
1989#6,53112#782161
1988#6,27712#778147
1987#7,9878#712164
1986#7,7498#661184
1985#5,67812#698159
1984#7,3988#710151
1983#7,3128#721143
1982#6,37110#782126
1981#5,88511#706150
1980#6,7899#694157
1979#10,2105#693152
1978#7,6497#673154
1977#6,8928#737135
1976#9,2845#711138
1975#6,4848#596183
1974#4,45913#698138
1973#642154
1972#7,2926#585185
1971#600191
1970#6,3627#556212
1969#6,6176#575187
1968#5,1478#561182
1967#4,6259#570174
1966#5,8096#575173
1965#4,4949#594164
1964#5,0088#533215
1963#5,8916#557201
1962#6,5785#545213
1961#6,5675#525228
1960#533220
1959#4,6258#500246
1958#496245
1957#5,3776#481262
1956#4,8377#449284
1955#5,8285#428293
1954#4,2788#409307
1953#2,92114#408293
1952#2,92114#395304
1951#4,3857#351378
1950#4,7386#374326
1949#3,8928#329433
1948#3,13711#367342
1947#4,3457#397299
1946#3,9947#435210
1945#3,6767#424198
1944#4,5745#411214
1943#2,35215#441204
1942#430204
1941#450171
1940#443170
1939#438169
1938#4,3425#460157
1937#485138
1936#477139
1935#479140
1934#492136
1933#495128
1932#528122
1931#532119
1930#591104
1929#527122
1928#608101
1927#553124
1926#619103
1925#600110
1924#64299
1923#589114
1922#68690
1921#66595
1920#72181
1919#70479
1918#76172
1917#74969
1916#68575
1915#75962
1914#64561
1913#72041
1912#68139
1911#1,1909
1910#92812
1909#1,1557
1908#1,0218
1907#9309
1906#79810
1905#1,0916
1904#1,2055
1903
1902
1901
1900#1,0507
1899#1,0515
1898#1,0026
1897
1896#1,1015
1895#7958
1894
1893
1892
1891
1890
1889#8786
1888
1887
1886
1885
1884
1883
1882
1881
1880
First appearance
1889

The first year at least five boys were named Galen! It came in at #878, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1890–1894, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Galen is popular in 1947

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedAKMaine: #159 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,193 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedNHWashington: #328 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 5,503 boysWAIdaho: #200 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,360 boysIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #188 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,491 boysNDMinnesota: #160 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,459 boysMNIllinois: #307 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 5,172 boysILWisconsin: #299 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 6,515 boysWIMichigan: #420 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 10,891 boysMINew York: #632 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 26,333 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedSDIowa: #228 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,329 boysIAIndiana: #261 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 3,471 boysINOhio: #314 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 5,924 boysOHPennsylvania: #226 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 3,389 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #429 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 7,962 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedCONebraska: #159 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,044 boysNEMissouri: #263 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 2,913 boysMOKentucky: #451 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 7,518 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedNMKansas: #168 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,057 boysKSArkansas: #337 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,005 boysARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #516 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,805 boysLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedGAHawaii: #185 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,225 boysHITexas: #578 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 7,543 boysTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Galen, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Nebraska#159 · 1 in 1,044
  2. Maine#159 · 1 in 1,193
  3. Minnesota#160 · 1 in 1,459
  4. Kansas#168 · 1 in 1,057
  5. Hawaii#185 · 1 in 1,225

Best ever in a state: #84 in Kansas, 1951.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Maine#15991 in 1,193
Nebraska#159141 in 1,044
Minnesota#160241 in 1,459
Kansas#168191 in 1,057
Hawaii#18551 in 1,225
North Dakota#18851 in 1,491
Idaho#20051 in 1,360
Pennsylvania#226351 in 3,389
Iowa#228131 in 2,329
Indiana#261131 in 3,471
Missouri#263151 in 2,913
Wisconsin#29961 in 6,515
Illinois#307181 in 5,172
Ohio#314161 in 5,924
Washington#32851 in 5,503
Arkansas#33761 in 4,005
Michigan#42071 in 10,891
California#429151 in 7,962
Kentucky#45151 in 7,518
Louisiana#51651 in 6,805
Texas#578131 in 7,543
New York#63261 in 26,333
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
Mississippi
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
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 Galen
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 1,646 spots since 2024 (#2,750#4,396)
  • 1,668 spots since 2020 (#2,728#4,396)
  • 1,796 spots since 2015 (#2,600#4,396)
  • Biggest jump: 509 spots in 1912 (#1,190#681)
  • Biggest drop: 306 spots in 1896 (#795#1,101)
Rise & fade · boys
60 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1889
  • Peaked 1949 at #329 (433 births)
  • Births halved by 1962, 13 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 90 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 90 yrs · run 1912–1996
Share of babies · boys
1 in 4,097
  • Highest: 1 in 4,097 boys born in 1949 were named Galen (0.02%)
  • Latest: 1 in 74,264 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 17.8% of all boys named Galen (2,938) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s6#878 (1889)#878
1890s24#795 (1895)#987
1900s52#798 (1906)#1,036
1910s519#645 (1914)#782
1920s1,039#527 (1929)#621
1930s1,352#438 (1939)#498
1940s2,445#329 (1949)#413
1950s2,938#351 (1951)#429
1960s1,957#525 (1961)#557
1970s1,642#556 (1970)#649
1980s1,542#661 (1986)#724
1990s1,447#766 (1990)#922
2000s791#1,175 (2000)#1,791
2010s497#2,175 (2014)#2,595
2020s249#2,616 (2022)#3,074

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.

Galen in 1947

girls
#4,345
7 births · 1 in 253,252 girls
boys
#397
299 births · 1 in 6,119 boys

Top girls' names in 1947

  1. #1Linda99,692
  2. #2Mary71,690
  3. #3Patricia51,278
  4. #4Barbara48,800
  5. #5Sandra34,779
  6. #6Carol33,543
  7. #7Nancy32,445
  8. #8Susan31,952
  9. #9Sharon28,533
  10. #10Donna23,517
  11. #4,345Galen7

Top boys' names in 1947

  1. #1James94,767
  2. #2Robert91,655
  3. #3John88,324
  4. #4William67,002
  5. #5Richard58,532
  6. #6David57,810
  7. #7Michael50,506
  8. #8Thomas44,842
  9. #9Charles40,781
  10. #10Larry34,946
  11. #397Galen299
More about 1947

girls

1,772,766 girls got a published name in 1947; 1 in 253,252 of them was named Galen, which outranked 28.8% of the 6,104 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 25.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Galen
  1. #4,007Zelia8
  2. #4,007Zera8
  3. #4,007Zondra8
  4. #4,345Galen7
  5. #4,345Adora7
  6. #4,345Albertia7
  7. #4,345Albertina7
  8. #4,764Adine6
  9. #4,764Adlean6
  10. #4,764Adlene6

Tied with 418 names at #4,345; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1946
Risers
  1. 417Michaele#1,276#859
  2. 385Carlotta#997#612
  3. 332Ricki#1,290#958
  4. 300Daria#1,220#920
  5. 290Ivy#1,087#797
Fallers
  1. 341Merlene#961#1,302
  2. 285Beatriz#985#1,270
  3. 276Ruthanne#874#1,150
  4. 253Estela#897#1,150
  5. 242Verla#885#1,127

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

boys

1,829,599 boys got a published name in 1947; 1 in 6,119 of them was named Galen, which outranked 90.7% of the 4,266 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 34.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Galen
  1. #394Adrian302
  2. #395Arturo301
  3. #396Alonzo300
  4. #397Galen299
  5. #397Frederic299
  6. #399Elijah296
  7. #400Murray294
  8. #401Burton293

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

Biggest movers since 1946
Risers
  1. 1,271Brock#2,271#1,000
  2. 586Shawn#1,509#923
  3. 500Jed#1,475#975
  4. 358Jody#935#577
  5. 355Deryl#1,355#1,000
Fallers
  1. 497Hurley#952#1,449
  2. 393Prentice#878#1,271
  3. 362Darvin#935#1,297
  4. 310Lary#826#1,136
  5. 303Judith#856#1,159

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

See the top 100 for 1947