Unisex · #3,828 in 2026

Nebraska

Nebraska is a triple-landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Wyoming to the west; Colorado to the southwest; Kansas to the south; and Missouri to the southeast and Iowa to the east, both across the Missouri River. Nebraska is the 16th-largest state by land area, with just over 77,347 square miles (200,330 km2).

Current Rank
#3,828
Peak Rank
#3,780 (1927)
Total Babies
43
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #4,398 (42 total)
👦 Boy peak #3,780 (43 total)
👦As Boy Name
1914
First Year
1954
Last Year
1927
Peak Year
#3780
Peak Rank
43
Total Count
8
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1908
First Year
2023
Last Year
1920
Peak Year
#4398
Peak Rank
42
Total Count
8
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nebraska

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

Nebraska is a triple-landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Wyoming to the west; Colorado to the southwest; Kansas to the south; and Missouri to the southeast and Iowa to the east, both across the Missouri River. Nebraska is the 16th-largest state by land area, with just over 77,347 square miles (200,330 km2).

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

Etymology
Nebraska's name is the result of anglicization of the archaic Otoe Ñí Brásge (contemporary Otoe: Ñíbrahge ; pronounced [ ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ ] ), or the Omaha Ní Btháska , (pronounced [ nĩbɫᶞasꜜka ] ), meaning "flat water", after the Platte River which flows through the state.
Origin & history
Main article: History of Nebraska Nebraska in 1718, Guillaume de L'Isle map, with the approximate area of the future state highlighted

The Story of Nebraska

As a girl name

Nebraska first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1908, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 6 Nebraskas were born — ranking #4,398 that year. As of 2026, Nebraska ranks #15,178 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 42 Nebraskas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Nebraska first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 6 Nebraskas were born — ranking #3,780 that year. As of 2026, Nebraska ranks #3,828 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 43 Nebraskas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

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 Nebraska

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

  • Nebraskan
  • Nabisco
  • Nebraskans
  • Nobrega
  • Marasca
  • Maresca
  • Norske
  • Naraka

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nebraska

What does the name Nebraska mean?
Nebraska is a triple-landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Wyoming to the west; Colorado to the southwest; Kansas to the south; and Missouri to the southeast and Iowa to the east, both across the Missouri River. Nebraska is the 16th-largest state by land area, with just over 77,347 square miles (200,330 km2).
How popular is Nebraska in 2026?
In 2026, Nebraska ranks #3,828 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Nebraska most popular?
Nebraska reached its peak popularity in 1927, ranking #3,780 that year with 6 babies given the name.
Is Nebraska a unisex name?
Yes — Nebraska is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 49% of Nebraskas assigned female and 51% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Nebraska?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nebraska include Lute, Hillie, Arvy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Nebraska

Nebraska is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 43 births in the dataset. Nebraska's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #3,780. Use the chart and map above to compare Nebraska'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.