The longest first names in US Social Security records are 15 letters long, because that is the most the records hold: each name is 2 to 15 characters. 40 names reach the limit, and every one of them is two names run together, many cut off at the 15th letter. The long names families actually use are shorter. The most popular is Christopher, at 11 letters and 2,079,103 babies since 1880.
The 15-Letter Names in the Records
These are the 15-letter names given to the most babies from 1880 to 2025. Names with spaces appear as one word, so a double name such as Maria de los Angeles shows up as Mariadelosangel, and Christopher James as Christopherjame:
| Name in the records | Babies given the name | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Christopherjohn | 123 | 1980 to 2021 |
| Franciscojavier | 123 | 1984 to 2007 |
| Johnchristopher | 118 | 1979 to 2007 |
| Christopherjame | 114 | 1987 to 2024 |
| Muhammadibrahim | 54 | 2018 to 2025 |
| Christophermich | 52 | 1978 to 2005 |
| Ryanchristopher | 45 | 1989 to 2002 |
| Muhammadmustafa | 37 | 2018 to 2025 |
| Mariadelosangel | 28 | 1982 to 1988 |
| Jonathanmichael | 25 | 1993 to 2000 |
The Longest Names in Common Use
Leaving out joined and cut-off names, these long names have been given to thousands of babies or more:
| Name | Letters | Babies since 1880 | People alive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher | 11 | 2,079,103 | 1,901,526 |
| Maximiliano | 11 | 23,972 | 23,567 |
| Constantine | 11 | 6,720 | 4,399 |
| Maximillian | 11 | 5,968 | 5,763 |
| Bartholomew | 11 | 4,271 | 2,706 |
| Konstantinos | 12 | 2,122 | 2,034 |
Christopher is in a class of its own: about 1,901,526 people alive in the US have it, more than any other name of its length.
How Long Most Names Are
Most names are short. Of the 105,966 names in the records, the most common length is 6 letters:
| Letters | Names |
|---|---|
| 2 | 155 |
| 3 | 1,049 |
| 4 | 5,879 |
| 5 | 18,127 |
| 6 | 29,716 |
| 7 | 27,281 |
| 8 | 14,931 |
| 9 | 5,735 |
| 10 | 1,873 |
| 11 | 694 |
| 12 | 258 |
| 13 | 158 |
| 14 | 70 |
| 15 | 40 |
Names have also grown and then shrunk a little. Counting every baby born each year, the average first name was 5.51 letters in 1880, 5.78 letters in 1920, 5.68 letters in 1960, 6.06 letters in 1980, 6.07 letters in 2000, and 5.79 in 2025.
What the Records Leave Out
- Anything past 15 letters. A longer name is cut off, so the true longest names given in the US are not in the public records.
- Spaces and hyphens. Double names are written as one word and counted as names of their own.
- Names given to fewer than 5 babies. A name appears only in years when at least 5 babies of the same sex received it, so one-of-a-kind long names never show up.
Check Your Own Name
- Type your first name in the search box on the home page to see how many people alive in the US have it.
- For the other end of the scale, see the shortest popular names.
- For names given only a handful of times, see names that exist only a few times.