English
The Story of English
As a girl name
English first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1961, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 22 Englishs were born — ranking #3,554 that year. As of 2026, English ranks #16,513 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 265 Englishs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
English first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1889, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1917, when 9 Englishs were born — ranking #2,732 that year. As of 2026, English ranks #8,435 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 186 Englishs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like English
Phonetically similar names — useful when English is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Englisch
- Inglish
- Inglis
- Englished
- Denglish
- Ingush
- Inglese
- Anguish
- Englan
- Inkless
- Inkling
- Engrish
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about English
What does the name English mean?
How popular is English in 2026?
When was English most popular?
In which U.S. states is English most popular?
Is English a unisex name?
What names go well with English?
About the name English
English is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1961 and has accumulated 265 births in the dataset. English's peak popularity came in 1983 when it ranked #3,554. Use the chart and map above to compare English's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1983 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl 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.