How Many People Are Named Edward?
An estimated 641,974 people in the United States have the first name Edward. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #58 overall. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 59 years old, and Edward peaked in popularity in 1924 with 21,223 births that year. It has a similar number of bearers to Samuel (635,282).
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Edward as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Edward paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Edward is overwhelmingly male, 5,361 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Edward has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
641,974
About 1 in 534 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.6% confidence
Average Age
59
years old
Peak Year
1924
21,223 births
Total Registered
1,307,348
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Edward
Edward is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 1,307,348 total births registered, 99.6% were male.
Edward as a male name
Ranked #228 in 2024
1,584 male births in 2024
Peak: 1924 (21,126 births)
Edward as a female name
Ranked #17,290 in 2014
5 female births in 2014
Peak: 1928 (138 births)
Edward: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Edward span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 198,361 babies were registered. Edward has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Edward by Decade
How has Edward tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 23,202 | 23,133 | 69 | |
| 1890s | 22,134 | 22,033 | 101 | |
| 1900s | 24,601 | 24,516 | 85 | |
| 1910s | 126,151 | 125,720 | 431 | |
| 1920s | 198,361 | 197,347 | 1,014 | |
| 1930s | 148,562 | 147,848 | 714 | |
| 1940s | 175,316 | 174,798 | 518 | |
| 1950s | 188,885 | 188,328 | 557 | |
| 1960s | 144,656 | 143,980 | 676 | |
| 1970s | 84,032 | 83,436 | 596 | |
| 1980s | 61,257 | 60,833 | 424 | |
| 1990s | 45,288 | 45,164 | 124 | |
| 2000s | 30,874 | 30,827 | 47 | |
| 2010s | 25,262 | 25,257 | 5 | |
| 2020s | 8,767 | 8,767 | 0 | |
Edward by State
Birth registrations for Edward span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Pennsylvania, California. The lowest are in Alaska, Wyoming, Nevada. On average, about 24,189 Edwards were registered per state.
Edward + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Edward as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Edward
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
Edward: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Edward?
We estimate approximately 641,974 people named Edward are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 534 Americans share this first name.
Is Edward a common name?
Edward is classified as "Very Common" and is more popular than 99.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,307,348 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Edward most popular?
Edward reached peak popularity in 1924, when 21,223 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Edward is approximately 59 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Edward a male name?
Edward is predominantly male. 99.6% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Edward Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Edward Smith, Edward Johnson, Edward Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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