How Many People Are Named Harlem?
An estimated 4,760 people in the United States have the first name Harlem. It is used for both genders, with 66.7% male. The average bearer is 9 years old, and Harlem peaked in popularity in 2023 with 408 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Harlem 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 Harlem paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Harlem is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 9, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
4,760
About 1 in 72,007 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
66.7% confidence
Average Age
9
years old
Peak Year
2023
408 births
Total Registered
4,795
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Harlem
Harlem is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (66.7%) and females (33.3%). Out of 4,795 total births registered, 3,199 were male and 1,596 were female.
Harlem as a male name
Ranked #1,012 in 2024
220 male births in 2024
Peak: 2023 (254 births)
Harlem as a female name
Ranked #1,298 in 2024
177 female births in 2024
Peak: 2024 (177 births)
Harlem: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Harlem span from the 1970s to the 2020s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 2,401 babies were registered. Harlem remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.
Harlem by Decade
How has Harlem 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.
Harlem by State
Birth registrations for Harlem span all 29 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Louisiana. The lowest are in Nevada, Connecticut, Massachusetts. On average, about 110 Harlems were registered per state.
Harlem + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Harlem as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Harlem
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
Harlem: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Harlem?
We estimate approximately 4,760 people named Harlem 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 72,007 Americans share this first name.
Is Harlem a common name?
Harlem is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 96.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 4,795 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Harlem most popular?
Harlem reached peak popularity in 2023, when 408 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Harlem is approximately 9 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Harlem a male name?
Harlem is predominantly male. 66.7% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Harlem Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Harlem Smith, Harlem Johnson, Harlem 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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