Boy · #6,085 in 2026

Captain

Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, etc.

Current Rank
#6,085
Peak Rank
#679 (2018)
Total Babies
476
5-Yr Trend
-31%
1883
First Year
2026
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#679
Peak Rank
476
Total Count
36
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Captain

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

Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, etc.

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

Etymology
The word "captain" derives from the Middle English "capitane", from Anglo-French "capitain", itself coming from the Latin "caput", meaning "head". It is considered cognate with the Greek word katepánō ( Ancient Greek : κατεπάνω , literal translation</span>"}]],"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"literally","href":"./Template:Literally"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"[the one placed] at the top"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwIA">lit. ' [the one placed] at the top ' , or "the topmost"), which was used as title for a senior Byzantine military rank and office. [ page needed ] The word was Latinized as Ancient Greek

The Story of Captain

Captain first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1883, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 33 Captains were born — ranking #3,372 that year. As of 2026, Captain ranks #6,085 for baby boys with 14 births, falling sharply (-31%). In total, more than 476 Captains have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s 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 Captain

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

  • Captan
  • Kapton
  • Captin
  • Caption
  • Captains
  • Clapton
  • Capitan
  • Caton
  • Capetown
  • Campton
  • Capstan
  • Catton

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Captain

What does the name Captain mean?
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, etc.
How popular is Captain in 2026?
In 2026, Captain ranks #6,085 among boys' names in the U.S., with 14 babies given the name that year.
When was Captain most popular?
Captain reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #679 that year with 33 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Captain most popular?
Captain has historically been most popular in California, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Captain.
Is Captain a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Captain is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Captain?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Captain include Norval, Thompson, Vander. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Norval
Peak #679
👦
Thompson
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👦
Vander
Peak #679
👦
Armond
Peak #679
👦
Frazier
Peak #679
👦
Alfonzo
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👦
Male
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👦
Axl
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About the name Captain

Captain is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1883 and has accumulated 476 births in the dataset. Captain's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #679. Use the chart and map above to compare Captain'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.