Girl · #13,441 in 2026

Cookie

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

A cookie is a sweet biscuit with high sugar and fat content. Cookie dough is softer than that used for other types of biscuit, and they are cooked longer at lower temperatures. The dough typically contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil or fat. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, or nuts.

Current Rank

#13,441

Peak Rank

#1,857 (1958)

Total Babies

573

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1940

First Year

1993

Last Year

1958

Peak Year

#1857

Peak Rank

573

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cookie

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

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

Etymology

The word cookie dates from at least 1701 in Scottish usage where the word meant "plain bun", rather than thin baked good, and so it is not certain whether it is the same word. From 1808, the word "cookie" is attested "...in the sense of "small, flat, sweet cake" in American English . The American use is derived from Dutch koekje "little cake", which is a diminutive of " koek " ("cake"), which came from the Middle Dutch word " koke " with an informal, dialect variant koekie . According to the Scottish National Dictionary , its Scottish name may derive from the diminutive form (+ suffix -ie ) of

Origin & history

Cookie-like hard wafers have existed for as long as baking has been documented, in part because they survive travel very well, but they were usually not sweet enough to be considered cookies by modern standards. Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia , shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain . [ dubious – discuss ] By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors. The first documented instance of the figure-shaped

The Story of Cookie

The earliest SSA record of Cookie as a baby girl name dates back to 1940, when 5 babies received it. 1958 was its biggest year on record, with 35 newborns named Cookie — #1,857 in the national rankings. The 1950s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 44% of all recorded Cookies. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1993 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 573 Cookies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Cookie

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

Cooky
Kookie
Cookey
Cookee
Cocky
Khaki
Kooky
Kiki
Cakey
Kaki
Cokie
Kicky

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cookie

What does the name Cookie mean?

How popular is Cookie in 2026?

In 2026, Cookie ranks #13,441 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Cookie most popular?

Cookie reached its peak popularity in 1958, ranking #1,857 that year with 35 babies given the name.

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

Cookie has historically been most popular in Ohio, California, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cookie.

Is Cookie a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Cookie?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cookie include Melita, Deanie, Genny. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cookie

Cookie is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1940 and has accumulated 573 births in the dataset. Cookie's peak popularity came in 1958 when it ranked #1,857. Use the chart and map above to compare Cookie'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.