Boy · #9,864 in 2026

General

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

Current Rank

#9,864

Peak Rank

#596 (1918)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-13%

1880

First Year

2024

Last Year

1918

Peak Year

#596

Peak Rank

Total Count

142

Years Active

The Story of General

General first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 32 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 105 Generals were born — ranking #596 that year. As of 2026, General ranks #9,864 for baby boys with 7 births, gradually falling (-13%). In total, more than 4K Generals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Frequently Asked Questions about General

What does the name General mean?

General is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1880. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is General in 2026?

In 2026, General ranks #9,864 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.

When was General most popular?

General reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #596 that year with 105 babies given the name.

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

General has historically been most popular in Florida, Georgia, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named General.

Is General a unisex name?

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

What names go well with General?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with General include Salem, Lennon, Reagan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name General

General is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. General's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #596. Use the chart and map above to compare General'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.