Boy · #10,812 in 2026

Bubba

In American usage, "Bubba" is a term of endearment mainly given to boys. Being formed from the word "brother", it often indicates that someone is an "older brother".

Current Rank
#10,812
Peak Rank
#1,319 (1963)
Total Babies
498
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1945
First Year
2023
Last Year
1963
Peak Year
#1319
Peak Rank
498
Total Count
40
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bubba

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

In American usage, "Bubba" is a term of endearment mainly given to boys. Being formed from the word "brother", it often indicates that someone is an "older brother".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The linguist Ian Hancock has described similarities between the African Krio language and Gullah , the creole language of the Black people of the isolated Sea Islands of South Carolina, and points out that the Krio expression bohboh ('boy') appears in Gullah as buhbuh , which may account for the "Bubba" of the American South. Robert Ferguson notes in his book English Surnames that "Bubba" corresponds with the German Bube , "boy". This matches Saxon and Hibernian tradition. Because of its association with the southern part of the United States , "Bubba" is also often used outside the South as a

The Story of Bubba

Bubba first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1945, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1963, when 35 Bubbas were born — ranking #1,319 that year. As of 2026, Bubba ranks #10,812 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 498 Bubbas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Bubba

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bubba is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bubba

What does the name Bubba mean?
In American usage, "Bubba" is a term of endearment mainly given to boys. Being formed from the word "brother", it often indicates that someone is an "older brother".
How popular is Bubba in 2026?
In 2026, Bubba ranks #10,812 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Bubba most popular?
Bubba reached its peak popularity in 1963, ranking #1,319 that year with 35 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Bubba most popular?
Bubba has historically been most popular in Mississippi, Georgia, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bubba.
Is Bubba a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Bubba is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Bubba?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bubba include Carsten, Montell, Wanda. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Carsten
Peak #1319
👦
Montell
Peak #1319
👦
Wanda
Peak #1319
👦
Rasheem
Peak #1319
👦
Jiovanni
Peak #1319
👦
Lionell
Peak #1320
👦
Cindy
Peak #1318
👦
Starsky
Peak #1320

About the name Bubba

Bubba is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1945 and has accumulated 498 births in the dataset. Bubba's peak popularity came in 1963 when it ranked #1,319. Use the chart and map above to compare Bubba's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.