Boy · #5,057 in 2026

Male

Male is the sex of an organism that produces, or is organized to produce, the gamete known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.

Current Rank
#5,057
Peak Rank
#679 (1991)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1963
First Year
2015
Last Year
1991
Peak Year
#679
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
34
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Male

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

Male is the sex of an organism that produces, or is organized to produce, the gamete known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.

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

Etymology
Borrowed from Old French masle , from Latin masculus ("masculine, male, worthy of a man"), diminutive of mās ("male person or animal, male").

The Story of Male

Male first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1963, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 223 Males were born — ranking #679 that year. As of 2026, Male ranks #5,057 for baby boys with 18 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Males have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s 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 Male

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Male

What does the name Male mean?
Male is the sex of an organism that produces, or is organized to produce, the gamete known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
How popular is Male in 2026?
In 2026, Male ranks #5,057 among boys' names in the U.S., with 18 babies given the name that year.
When was Male most popular?
Male reached its peak popularity in 1991, ranking #679 that year with 223 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Male most popular?
Male has historically been most popular in New Mexico, New York, Kansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Male.
Is Male a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Male is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Male?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Male include Norval, Thompson, Captain. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Male

Male is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1963 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Male's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #679. Use the chart and map above to compare Male'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.