Major
From the English military rank, which traces to the Latin maior, meaning greater. The medieval Norman name Mauger also fed into the surname.
Major in 2025
Major was given to 407 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,361st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 8,146 babies born.
The history of Major
Major reached its highest point in 2017, when 1,050 babies were given the name, ranking 642nd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 502nd, in 1881.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 21,749 babies have been named Major. Half of them were born before 2012, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Major by decade
| Decade | Babies named Major | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 378 | 502 |
| 1890s | 379 | 695 |
| 1900s | 388 | 739 |
| 1910s | 1,147 | 928 |
| 1920s | 1,441 | 1,007 |
| 1930s | 1,062 | 1,048 |
| 1940s | 1,176 | 1,102 |
| 1950s | 1,114 | 1,301 |
| 1960s | 692 | 1,987 |
| 1970s | 572 | 2,314 |
| 1980s | 552 | 2,669 |
| 1990s | 450 | 3,450 |
| 2000s | 868 | 2,365 |
| 2010s | 7,653 | 642 |
| 2020s | 3,877 | 690 |
Where Major is heading
Major has fallen 55% over the past decade, from 913 babies in 2015 to 407 in 2025.
Names like Major
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Major.