Boy · #2,221 in 2026

Oak

An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with some 500 species, both deciduous and evergreen. Fossil oaks date back to the Middle Eocene.

Current Rank
#2,221
Peak Rank
#2,128 (2023)
Total Babies
717
5-Yr Trend
+48%
2021
First Year
2024
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#11138
Peak Rank
27
Total Count
4
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Oak

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

An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with some 500 species, both deciduous and evergreen. Fossil oaks date back to the Middle Eocene.

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

Etymology
The generic name Quercus is Latin for "oak", derived from Proto-Indo-European *kwerkwu- , "oak", which is also the origin of the name " fir ", another important or sacred tree in Indo-European culture . The word "cork", for the bark of the cork oak , similarly derives from Quercus . The common name "oak" is from Old English ac (seen in placenames such as Acton , from ac + tun , "oak village"), which in turn is from Proto-Germanic *aiks , "oak".
Origin & history
Main article: List of individual trees Category: Individual oak trees Several oak trees hold cultural importance; such as the Royal Oak in Britain, the Charter Oak in the United States, and the Guernica oak in the Basque Country . " The Proscribed Royalist, 1651 ", a famous painting by John Everett Millais , depicts a Royalist hiding in an oak tree while fleeing from Cromwell's forces. In the Roman Republic , a crown of oak leaves was given to those who had saved the life of a citizen in battle; it was called the " Civic Crown ". In his 17th century poem The Garden , Andrew Marvell critiqued t

The Story of Oak

Oak first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1920, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 68 Oaks were born — ranking #2,128 that year. As of 2026, Oak ranks #2,221 for baby boys with 66 births, rising sharply (+48% over the past five years). In total, more than 717 Oaks have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s 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 Oak

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

  • Oke
  • Olk
  • Oake
  • Oek
  • Ohk
  • Ohc
  • Oag
  • Oeg
  • Owg
  • Ache
  • Ack
  • Ake

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Oak

What does the name Oak mean?
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with some 500 species, both deciduous and evergreen. Fossil oaks date back to the Middle Eocene.
How popular is Oak in 2026?
In 2026, Oak ranks #2,221 among boys' names in the U.S., with 66 babies given the name that year.
When was Oak most popular?
Oak reached its peak popularity in 2023, ranking #2,128 that year with 68 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Oak most popular?
Oak has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Oak.
Is Oak a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Oak is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Oak?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Oak include Narciso, Benigno, Devine. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Oak

Oak is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1920 and has accumulated 717 births in the dataset. Oak's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #2,128. Use the chart and map above to compare Oak'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.