Race
Race is both an English unisex given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Race
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Race is both an English unisex given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Race
Race first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1954, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 65 Races were born — ranking #1,772 that year. As of 2026, Race ranks #10,889 for baby boys with 6 births, falling sharply (-37%). In total, more than 1K Races have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Race
Phonetically similar names — useful when Race is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Race
What does the name Race mean?
How popular is Race in 2026?
When was Race most popular?
In which U.S. states is Race most popular?
Is Race a unisex name?
What names go well with Race?
About the name Race
Race is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1954 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Race's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #1,772. Use the chart and map above to compare Race's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.