East
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Meaning & Origin of East
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of East
As a girl name
East first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2019, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 5 Easts were born — ranking #15,532 that year. As of 2026, East ranks #15,532 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Easts have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
East first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2018, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 14 Easts were born — ranking #6,143 that year. As of 2026, East ranks #6,815 for boys with 11 births, rising sharply (+45% over the past five years). In total, more than 87 Easts have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like East
Phonetically similar names — useful when East is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Asked
- Ist
- Ast
- Iced
- Ost
- Ust
- Oust
- Aced
- Assed
- Aust
- Oast
- Aste
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about East
What does the name East mean?
How popular is East in 2026?
When was East most popular?
Is East a unisex name?
What names go well with East?
About the name East
East is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2018 and has accumulated 87 births in the dataset. East's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #6,143. Use the chart and map above to compare East's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.