Purpose
The Story of Purpose
As a girl name
Purpose first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2008, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 23 Purposes were born — ranking #5,477 that year. As of 2026, Purpose ranks #5,477 for girls with 23 births, rising sharply (+124% over the past five years). In total, more than 160 Purposes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Purpose first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2019, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 12 Purposes were born — ranking #6,889 that year. As of 2026, Purpose ranks #12,301 for boys with 5 births, rising sharply (+40% over the past five years). In total, more than 48 Purposes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Purpose
Phonetically similar names — useful when Purpose is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Porpoise
- Purposed
- Pappas
- Perps
- Porpus
- Prus
- Parous
- Pappus
- Pruss
- Purpa
- Purposer
- Prps
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Purpose
What does the name Purpose mean?
How popular is Purpose in 2026?
When was Purpose most popular?
In which U.S. states is Purpose most popular?
Is Purpose a unisex name?
What names go well with Purpose?
About the name Purpose
Purpose is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2008 and has accumulated 160 births in the dataset. Purpose's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #5,477. Use the chart and map above to compare Purpose's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.