Boy · #468 in 2026

Chance

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

Chance is an English masculine given name and a surname. The given name is of Middle English origin, meaning "good fortune". There are several variants. The surname is of Old French origin, from cheance, also Middle English chea(u)nce. The oldest public record of the surname dates to 1310 in Essex. People with the name Chance include:

English

Current Rank

#468

Peak Rank

#154 (1996)

Total Babies

55K

5-Yr Trend

-35%

1967

First Year

2026

Last Year

1996

Peak Year

#2510

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Chance

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

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

The Story of Chance

Chance 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 1996, when 2,243 Chances were born — ranking #154 that year. As of 2026, Chance ranks #468 for baby boys with 669 births, falling sharply (-35%). In total, more than 55K Chances have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Chance

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Chance. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Chauncey

Names that sound like Chance

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

Chanc
Chinse
Chaunce
Schanz
Chains
Chan
Chants
Chins
Chancer
Chancy
Chasse
Chanced

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chance

What does the name Chance mean?

What is the origin of the name Chance?

Chance has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Chance in 2026?

In 2026, Chance ranks #468 among boys' names in the U.S., with 669 babies given the name that year.

When was Chance most popular?

Chance reached its peak popularity in 1996, ranking #154 that year with 2,243 babies given the name.

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

Chance has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Oklahoma, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Chance.

Is Chance a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Chance?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Chance include Ellis, Randolph, Sherman. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Chance?

Common variants and related forms of Chance include Chauncey. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Chance

Chance is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1883 and has accumulated 55K births in the dataset. Chance's peak popularity came in 1996 when it ranked #154. Use the chart and map above to compare Chance'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.