Boy · #3,426 in 2026

Buddy

Name: Popularity of the name Buddy in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Buddy, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#3,426

Peak Rank

#202 (1935)

Total Babies

23K

5-Yr Trend

+30%

1925

First Year

1980

Last Year

1938

Peak Year

#3450

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Buddy

Buddy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1893, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1935, when 604 Buddys were born — ranking #202 that year. As of 2026, Buddy ranks #3,426 for baby boys with 34 births, rising sharply (+30% over the past five years). In total, more than 23K Buddys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Buddy

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

Buddie
Biddy
Bedi
Body
Budda
Bodie
Bawdy
Baddie
Beady
Butty
Baddy
Boddy

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Buddy

What does the name Buddy mean?

Buddy is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1893. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Buddy in 2026?

In 2026, Buddy ranks #3,426 among boys' names in the U.S., with 34 babies given the name that year.

When was Buddy most popular?

Buddy reached its peak popularity in 1935, ranking #202 that year with 604 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Buddy most popular?

Buddy has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Buddy.

Is Buddy a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Buddy is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Buddy?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Buddy include Israel, Laurence, Corbin. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Buddy

Buddy is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1893 and has accumulated 23K births in the dataset. Buddy's peak popularity came in 1935 when it ranked #202. Use the chart and map above to compare Buddy'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.