Boy · #2,047 in 2026

Quest

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

A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. It serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of every nation and ethnic culture.

Current Rank

#2,047

Peak Rank

#1,860 (2022)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+22%

1998

First Year

2024

Last Year

1998

Peak Year

#9259

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Quest

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

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

Etymology

The word quest derives from the Old French queste (modern French quête ), which in turn stems from the Vulgar Latin quaesta ("search" or "inquiry"). This noun was formed from the feminine past participle of the Latin verb quaerere , meaning "to seek," "to ask," or "to inquire." In its earliest English usage during the 13th and 14th centuries, the term lacked its modern heroic or supernatural connotations. Instead, it was primarily a technical and legal term referring to an official inquiry or a judicial investigation . In a rural feudal context, a "quest" was often the formal process of search

The Story of Quest

Quest first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1991, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 85 Quests were born — ranking #1,860 that year. As of 2026, Quest ranks #2,047 for baby boys with 75 births, rising sharply (+22% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Quests have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Quest

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

Queste
Quist
Quast
Kwast
Crest
Quests
Ques
Caressed
Quester
Chrest
Kest
Cuesta

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Quest

What does the name Quest mean?

How popular is Quest in 2026?

In 2026, Quest ranks #2,047 among boys' names in the U.S., with 75 babies given the name that year.

When was Quest most popular?

Quest reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #1,860 that year with 85 babies given the name.

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

Quest has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Maryland, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Quest.

Is Quest a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Quest?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Quest include Orlen, Aasim, Ladell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Quest

Quest is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1991 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Quest's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #1,860. Use the chart and map above to compare Quest'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.