Boy · #654 in 2026

Princeton

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

Princeton is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Princeton Fant, American football player Princeton Kwong, American figure skater Princeton Lyman (1935–2018), American diplomat Princeton Owusu-Ansah, Ghanaian footballer

Current Rank

#654

Peak Rank

#402 (2017)

Total Babies

11K

5-Yr Trend

-33%

1950

First Year

2026

Last Year

2017

Peak Year

#402

Peak Rank

11K

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Princeton

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

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

The Story of Princeton

Princeton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1950, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 793 Princetons were born — ranking #402 that year. As of 2026, Princeton ranks #654 for baby boys with 422 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 11K Princetons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Princeton

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

Princedom
Preston
Pristine
Springston
Brimstone
Brownstone
Brinson
Brinton
Briston
Bronstein
Braunstein
Brownstein

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Princeton

What does the name Princeton mean?

How popular is Princeton in 2026?

In 2026, Princeton ranks #654 among boys' names in the U.S., with 422 babies given the name that year.

When was Princeton most popular?

Princeton reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #402 that year with 793 babies given the name.

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

Princeton has historically been most popular in Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Princeton.

Is Princeton a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Princeton?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Princeton include Rupert, Shad, Ephraim. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Princeton

Princeton is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 11K births in the dataset. Princeton's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #402. Use the chart and map above to compare Princeton'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.