Boy · #1,475 in 2026

Ranger

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

Current Rank

#1,475

Peak Rank

#1,439 (2022)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+27%

1958

First Year

2026

Last Year

2022

Peak Year

#1439

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Ranger

The earliest SSA record of Ranger as a baby boy name dates back to 1958, when 5 babies received it. 2022 was its biggest year on record, with 126 newborns named Ranger — #1,439 in the national rankings. About 49% of every Ranger on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Ranger ranks #1,475 for baby boys with 123 births, rising sharply (+27% over the past five years). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Ranger

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

Arranger
Rainier
Range
Arrange
Rangers
Rancher
Granger
Rainer
Rayner
Rangy
Raynor
Pranger

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ranger

What does the name Ranger mean?

Ranger is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1958. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Ranger in 2026?

In 2026, Ranger ranks #1,475 among boys' names in the U.S., with 123 babies given the name that year.

When was Ranger most popular?

Ranger reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #1,439 that year with 126 babies given the name.

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

Ranger has historically been most popular in West Virginia, Nevada, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ranger.

Is Ranger a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Ranger?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ranger include Lamon, Shirl, Byran. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ranger

Ranger is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Ranger's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #1,439. Use the chart and map above to compare Ranger'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.