Unisex · #1,848 in 2026

Channing

Channing is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:

Current Rank
#1,848
Peak Rank
#515 (2012)
Total Babies
7K
5-Yr Trend
-42%
👧 Girl peak #590 (4K total)
👦 Boy peak #515 (7K total)
👦As Boy Name
1912
First Year
2026
Last Year
2012
Peak Year
#515
Peak Rank
7K
Total Count
109
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1969
First Year
2026
Last Year
1987
Peak Year
#590
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
57
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Channing

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

Channing is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:

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

The Story of Channing

As a girl name

Channing first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1969, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1987, when 330 Channings were born — ranking #590 that year. As of 2026, Channing ranks #3,135 for girls with 51 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 4K Channings have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Channing first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2012, when 512 Channings were born — ranking #515 that year. As of 2026, Channing ranks #1,848 for boys with 88 births, falling sharply (-42%). In total, more than 7K Channings have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

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 Channing

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

  • Chaining
  • Chinning
  • Chining
  • Chewning
  • Chowning
  • Channon
  • Chanting
  • Churning
  • Chiming
  • Channeling
  • Chancing
  • Chumming

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Channing

What does the name Channing mean?
Channing is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
How popular is Channing in 2026?
In 2026, Channing ranks #1,848 among boys' names in the U.S., with 88 babies given the name that year.
When was Channing most popular?
Channing reached its peak popularity in 2012, ranking #515 that year with 512 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Channing most popular?
Channing has historically been most popular in Mississippi, West Virginia, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Channing.
Is Channing a unisex name?
Yes — Channing is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 35% of Channings assigned female and 65% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Channing?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Channing include Jewell, Casimer, Domenic. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Channing

Channing is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Channing's peak popularity came in 2012 when it ranked #515. Use the chart and map above to compare Channing'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.