Meaning not yet researched.
Noel: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 635 in 2025. Its best rank was #267 in 1938.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #267 in 1938; #478 in 2025. About 80% of babies named Noel in 2025 were boys.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#478 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1938, at #267.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Noel: US boys and girls given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 635 boys in 2025. Peak: #267 in 1938 · most boys in one year: 901 (2014).
In 2025, 635 US boys were named Noel, making it the 478th most common boys’ name of the year, down 44 places from #434 in 2024. That is 96 fewer than the 731 boys named Noel in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #267, reached in 1938. The most boys given the name in a single year was 901, in 2014. For comparison, it was #376 in 2015 and #384 in 1950.
In 2025, 157 US girls were named Noel, making it the 1,395th most common girls’ name of the year, up 69 places from #1,464 in 2024. That is 7 more than the 150 girls named Noel in 2024. Its best rank for girls was #587, reached in 1987. That year also had the most girls given the name: 336. For comparison, it was #1,192 in 2015 and #999 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Noel in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 10 babies with the name. In all, 67,380 US babies have been given the name, 23% of them girls and 77% boys. Its busiest decade was the 2010s, with 9,479 babies named Noel.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 7,554 US boys were named Noel; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 846. In 2025 that was about 1 in 2,690 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Noel ranked highest in California in 2025, at #293 for boys there. It was not in the top 100 of any state. Related spellings in the SSA files include Nael (1,519 babies since 1880) and Noelle (44,572 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Noell, Noal and Nole are summarised on this page.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in French. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Noell (722), Noal (424), Nole (195), Noele (135), Nuel (88), Nohl (23).
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
No nicknames listed for Noel in the open dataset we use.
Noel is listed as a nickname for Nowell.
Source: carltonnorthern/nicknames (Apache-2.0).
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 24 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 126 | #293 | #225 |
| Texas | 119 | #314 | #258 |
| North Carolina | 27 | #413 | #400 |
| Illinois | 27 | #414 | #308 |
| Arizona | 18 | #426 | #314 |
| Nevada | 7 | #428 | #232 |
| Florida | 46 | #429 | #345 |
| Colorado | 14 | #433 | #579 |
| New York | 39 | #445 | #308 |
| Maryland | 11 | #465 | #766 |
| Washington | 16 | #468 | #362 |
| Georgia | 23 | #478 | #530 |
| New Jersey | 15 | #513 | #292 |
| Virginia | 15 | #515 | #533 |
| Oklahoma | 8 | #540 | — |
| Massachusetts | 9 | #540 | #494 |
| Connecticut | 5 | #550 | #376 |
| Michigan | 13 | #629 | #872 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | #667 | #416 |
| Alabama | 6 | #738 | #512 |
| Kentucky | 5 | #781 | — |
| Indiana | 7 | #822 | #566 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | #832 | #528 |
| South Carolina | 5 | #837 | — |
| Missouri | 5 | #961 | #717 |
| Tennessee | 6 | #1,008 | — |
| Ohio | 6 | #1,215 | #828 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 157 | #1,395 | 635 | #478 |
| 2024 | 150 | #1,464 | 731 | #434 |
| 2023 | 173 | #1,315 | 686 | #451 |
| 2022 | 192 | #1,254 | 743 | #425 |
| 2021 | 178 | #1,290 | 787 | #398 |
| 2020 | 142 | #1,506 | 714 | #417 |
| 2019 | 199 | #1,182 | 791 | #395 |
| 2018 | 192 | #1,221 | 789 | #405 |
| 2017 | 201 | #1,206 | 832 | #386 |
| 2016 | 204 | #1,211 | 846 | #381 |
| 2015 | 212 | #1,192 | 862 | #376 |
| 2014 | 206 | #1,191 | 901 | #356 |
| 2013 | 182 | #1,290 | 778 | #383 |
| 2012 | 145 | #1,527 | 682 | #417 |
| 2011 | 165 | #1,390 | 587 | #456 |
| 2010 | 160 | #1,434 | 545 | #478 |
| 2009 | 181 | #1,333 | 555 | #491 |
| 2008 | 178 | #1,364 | 592 | #468 |
| 2007 | 193 | #1,275 | 636 | #440 |
| 2006 | 180 | #1,304 | 607 | #446 |
| 2005 | 182 | #1,248 | 591 | #442 |
| 2004 | 168 | #1,276 | 572 | #454 |
| 2003 | 185 | #1,170 | 514 | #483 |
| 2002 | 192 | #1,101 | 548 | #449 |
| 2001 | 210 | #1,029 | 583 | #422 |
| 2000 | 205 | #1,028 | 616 | #406 |
| 1999 | 199 | #1,026 | 562 | #421 |
| 1998 | 242 | #874 | 495 | #454 |
| 1997 | 265 | #787 | 544 | #423 |
| 1996 | 242 | #830 | 517 | #438 |
| 1995 | 226 | #862 | 521 | #438 |
| 1994 | 224 | #876 | 503 | #447 |
| 1993 | 221 | #877 | 495 | #443 |
| 1992 | 244 | #822 | 510 | #434 |
| 1991 | 269 | #768 | 536 | #422 |
| 1990 | 255 | #792 | 588 | #394 |
| 1989 | 273 | #724 | 561 | #390 |
| 1988 | 315 | #634 | 488 | #409 |
| 1987 | 336 | #587 | 463 | #403 |
| 1986 | 252 | #712 | 473 | #388 |
| 1985 | 302 | #623 | 445 | #407 |
| 1984 | 241 | #694 | 478 | #368 |
| 1983 | 221 | #742 | 462 | #376 |
| 1982 | 179 | #862 | 469 | #370 |
| 1981 | 187 | #838 | 476 | #367 |
| 1980 | 188 | #832 | 458 | #376 |
| 1979 | 185 | #844 | 494 | #357 |
| 1978 | 185 | #810 | 413 | #385 |
| 1977 | 180 | #833 | 445 | #370 |
| 1976 | 159 | #859 | 438 | #365 |
| 1975 | 172 | #802 | 501 | #342 |
| 1974 | 166 | #813 | 506 | #343 |
| 1973 | 175 | #770 | 484 | #348 |
| 1972 | 181 | #768 | 537 | #332 |
| 1971 | 204 | #736 | 643 | #305 |
| 1970 | 200 | #738 | 674 | #299 |
| 1969 | 183 | #751 | 601 | #312 |
| 1968 | 206 | #677 | 639 | #298 |
| 1967 | 245 | #607 | 571 | #309 |
| 1966 | 151 | #812 | 469 | #346 |
| 1965 | 109 | #1,001 | 387 | #399 |
| 1964 | 110 | #1,031 | 372 | #418 |
| 1963 | 87 | #1,177 | 384 | #411 |
| 1962 | 60 | #1,439 | 419 | #396 |
| 1961 | 59 | #1,460 | 432 | #380 |
| 1960 | 78 | #1,246 | 390 | #401 |
| 1959 | 72 | #1,270 | 448 | #373 |
| 1958 | 81 | #1,185 | 446 | #366 |
| 1957 | 78 | #1,201 | 377 | #402 |
| 1956 | 98 | #1,038 | 390 | #381 |
| 1955 | 132 | #848 | 338 | #394 |
| 1954 | 96 | #998 | 351 | #380 |
| 1953 | 98 | #965 | 336 | #377 |
| 1952 | 76 | #1,087 | 338 | #371 |
| 1951 | 90 | #985 | 317 | #382 |
| 1950 | 84 | #999 | 305 | #384 |
| 1949 | 84 | #977 | 342 | #365 |
| 1948 | 112 | #829 | 331 | #372 |
| 1947 | 123 | #778 | 382 | #348 |
| 1946 | 105 | #808 | 334 | #357 |
| 1945 | 98 | #760 | 318 | #336 |
| 1944 | 70 | #923 | 360 | #317 |
| 1943 | 71 | #930 | 397 | #311 |
| 1942 | 94 | #787 | 368 | #319 |
| 1941 | 85 | #785 | 335 | #320 |
| 1940 | 73 | #837 | 374 | #291 |
| 1939 | 57 | #935 | 396 | #277 |
| 1938 | 61 | #909 | 425 | #267 |
| 1937 | 64 | #865 | 375 | #281 |
| 1936 | 46 | #1,031 | 325 | #297 |
| 1935 | 42 | #1,082 | 339 | #297 |
| 1934 | 40 | #1,129 | 329 | #300 |
| 1933 | 32 | #1,283 | 318 | #299 |
| 1932 | 51 | #994 | 300 | #318 |
| 1931 | 36 | #1,217 | 277 | #330 |
| 1930 | 35 | #1,284 | 214 | #393 |
| 1929 | 32 | #1,363 | 241 | #370 |
| 1928 | 30 | #1,459 | 265 | #351 |
| 1927 | 19 | #2,078 | 229 | #396 |
| 1926 | 18 | #2,134 | 205 | #422 |
| 1925 | 20 | #1,993 | 198 | #426 |
| 1924 | 17 | #2,288 | 196 | #436 |
| 1923 | 6 | #4,817 | 187 | #447 |
| 1922 | 12 | #2,915 | 207 | #415 |
| 1921 | 12 | #2,892 | 181 | #457 |
| 1920 | 18 | #2,144 | 206 | #414 |
| 1919 | 18 | #2,040 | 165 | #461 |
| 1918 | 17 | #2,176 | 186 | #431 |
| 1917 | 15 | #2,286 | 192 | #409 |
| 1916 | 16 | #2,099 | 181 | #416 |
| 1915 | 9 | #3,066 | 223 | #360 |
| 1914 | 11 | #2,223 | 136 | #408 |
| 1913 | 5 | #3,563 | 128 | #371 |
| 1912 | 6 | #2,879 | 80 | #436 |
| 1911 | 6 | #2,393 | 43 | #451 |
| 1910 | — | — | 44 | #404 |
| 1909 | 5 | #2,453 | 45 | #352 |
| 1908 | — | — | 47 | #328 |
| 1907 | — | — | 32 | #402 |
| 1906 | — | — | 33 | #375 |
| 1905 | — | — | 39 | #320 |
| 1904 | — | — | 22 | #462 |
| 1903 | — | — | 28 | #365 |
| 1902 | — | — | 22 | #453 |
| 1901 | — | — | 16 | #501 |
| 1900 | — | — | 18 | #596 |
| 1899 | — | — | 21 | #411 |
| 1898 | — | — | 23 | #414 |
| 1897 | — | — | 13 | #605 |
| 1896 | — | — | 12 | #662 |
| 1895 | — | — | 17 | #499 |
| 1894 | — | — | 23 | #395 |
| 1893 | — | — | 11 | #638 |
| 1892 | — | — | 16 | #512 |
| 1891 | — | — | 9 | #683 |
| 1890 | — | — | 10 | #655 |
| 1889 | — | — | 13 | #541 |
| 1888 | — | — | 13 | #576 |
| 1887 | — | — | 5 | #1,016 |
| 1886 | — | — | 6 | #929 |
| 1885 | — | — | 8 | #745 |
| 1884 | — | — | 12 | #563 |
| 1883 | — | — | 5 | #1,004 |
| 1882 | — | — | 10 | #634 |
| 1881 | — | — | 13 | #500 |
| 1880 | — | — | 10 | #626 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).