Boy · #12,243 in 2026

Decatur

Decatur is a given name and a surname which may refer to:Daniel Decatur Emmet (1815–1904), songwriter Art Decatur (1894–1966), Major League Baseball pitcher C. D. Howe, Canadian cabinet minister and businessman Sean M. Decatur, African-American chemist, college administrator and 19th president of Kenyon College Stephen Decatur (1779–1820), American naval commodore Stephen Decatur Sr.

Current Rank
#12,243
Peak Rank
#2,743 (1945)
Total Babies
54
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1916
First Year
2017
Last Year
1945
Peak Year
#2743
Peak Rank
54
Total Count
10
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Decatur

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

Decatur is a given name and a surname which may refer to:Daniel Decatur Emmet (1815–1904), songwriter Art Decatur (1894–1966), Major League Baseball pitcher C. D. Howe, Canadian cabinet minister and businessman Sean M. Decatur, African-American chemist, college administrator and 19th president of Kenyon College Stephen Decatur (1779–1820), American naval commodore Stephen Decatur Sr.

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

The Story of Decatur

Decatur first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1916, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1945, when 7 Decaturs were born — ranking #2,743 that year. As of 2026, Decatur ranks #12,243 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 54 Decaturs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s 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 Decatur

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

  • Dictator
  • Decoder
  • Dichter
  • Dicter
  • Diktator
  • Dictar
  • Dexter
  • Decorator
  • Ductor
  • Decayer
  • Doctor
  • Decor

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Decatur

What does the name Decatur mean?
Decatur is a given name and a surname which may refer to:Daniel Decatur Emmet (1815–1904), songwriter Art Decatur (1894–1966), Major League Baseball pitcher C. D. Howe, Canadian cabinet minister and businessman Sean M. Decatur, African-American chemist, college administrator and 19th president of Kenyon College Stephen Decatur (1779–1820), American naval commodore Stephen Decatur Sr.
How popular is Decatur in 2026?
In 2026, Decatur ranks #12,243 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Decatur most popular?
Decatur reached its peak popularity in 1945, ranking #2,743 that year with 7 babies given the name.
Is Decatur a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Decatur is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Decatur?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Decatur include Daniels, Isaah, Keshun. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Daniels
Peak #2743
👦
Isaah
Peak #2742
👦
Keshun
Peak #2744
👦
Keyonte
Peak #2742
👦
Amonte
Peak #2742
👦
Elyan
Peak #2742
👦
Boysie
Peak #2741
👦
Charl
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About the name Decatur

Decatur is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 54 births in the dataset. Decatur's peak popularity came in 1945 when it ranked #2,743. Use the chart and map above to compare Decatur'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.