Boy · #8,947 in 2026

Ralston

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

Current Rank

#8,947

Peak Rank

#1,509 (1921)

Total Babies

924

5-Yr Trend

-15%

1910

First Year

2024

Last Year

1921

Peak Year

#1509

Peak Rank

924

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Ralston

American parents first put Ralston on the record books as a baby boy name in 1910, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 25 Ralstons were born — ranking #1,509 that year. Ralston last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 924 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Ralston

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ralston 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 Ralston

What does the name Ralston mean?

Ralston is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1910. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Ralston in 2026?

In 2026, Ralston ranks #8,947 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.

When was Ralston most popular?

Ralston reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #1,509 that year with 25 babies given the name.

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

Ralston has historically been most popular in Pennsylvania. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ralston.

Is Ralston a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Ralston?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ralston include Rutherford, Simpson, Obert. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ralston

Ralston is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1910 and has accumulated 924 births in the dataset. Ralston's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #1,509. Use the chart and map above to compare Ralston'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.