How Many People Are Named Susan?
Complete statistics for the name Susan: rarity score, gender breakdown, age distribution, historical popularity, worldwide data, meaning and origin.
Susan is a classic Hebrew-origin name meaning 'lily' or 'graceful lily', and it's still carried by around 885,546 people living in the US today. That makes it 1 in 373 Americans, which sounds common until you realize almost all of them are over 60. It had a genuine golden era, but those days are long behind it.
📖 Meaning & Origin
The number 11 is considered a master number in numerology, associated with intuition, inspiration, and a heightened sense of empathy. People connected to 11 are often seen as idealistic visionaries who feel things deeply and have a natural gift for understanding others.
🌍 Worldwide Usage
⚥ Gender Distribution
📊 Births by Age Group
Avg Cohort Age: 69All 1,125,488 recorded US births for this name, grouped by the age those individuals would be today. Not adjusted for survival, so the number living today is lower (see the living estimate above).
📈 Popularity Over Time
Peak: 1955Annual US births from SSA records · Trend: Declining
🏆 Name Scorecard
Scores 0–100 based on statistical analysis of US and worldwide name frequency
📜 Susan Through the Generations
Susan is a name that had one of the great mid-century runs in American naming history. It spent 40 years in the US top 10 and hit its peak in 1955 with 47,484 babies born in a single year. That's a staggering number for one name in one year. All-time US births come to 1,125,488, and an impressive 885,546 of those people are still alive today, so the gap between total and living isn't huge, which makes sense given how recently the name dominated. The age story is where it gets striking. A full 902,136 Susans are over 60, that's about 80% of all living Susans. Only 11,783 are under 30. Parents today have almost entirely moved on from the name, and the trend is firmly declining. Susan isn't disappearing, but it's become a generational marker more than anything else, a name that instantly conjures a specific era.
📍 State Distribution (Top 10)
⭐ Famous People Named Susan
Susan is a feminine given name, the usual English version of Susanna or Susannah. All are versions of the Hebrew name Shoshana, which is derived from the Hebrew shoshan, meaning lotus flower in Egyptian, original derivation, and several other languages.…
Full list on Wikipedia →🌿 Related Names by Origin
Other names sharing Susan's Hebrew roots
📄 About the Name Susan
How Many People Have the Name Susan?
Based on Social Security Administration birth records and age-adjusted survival modeling, approximately 815 people in the United States currently share the name Susan. That works out to roughly 1 in every 406,686 Americans, placing it in the Very Rare category.
Is Susan a Common or Rare Name?
Susan is classified as Very Rare. The rarity scale runs from Very Common (shared by millions) through Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Very Rare. Understanding where a name sits helps parents gauge uniqueness, genealogists narrow down records, and individuals settle debates about their own name's distinctiveness.
What Does the Name Susan Mean?
Susan means "lily, graceful lily" and comes from Hebrew origins. The name carries a life-path numerology number of 11.
Gender Breakdown
Of all recorded bearers of Susan in SSA data, approximately 0% are male and 100% are female.
When Was Susan Most Popular?
The name Susan reached peak popularity in 1955, with 47,484 babies registered that year. Current trend: Declining.
How Is This Data Calculated?
All figures are statistical estimates, not exact government headcounts. The underlying data comes from the SSA National Baby Names dataset. Full methodology is explained on the methodology page.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How many people are named Susan?
Approximately 815 people named Susan live in the United States today. All-time US births on record total 815. That works out to roughly 1 in 406,686 Americans.
Is Susan a rare name?
Susan is classified as Very Rare in the United States. Approximately 1 in every 406,686 Americans has this name.
What does the name Susan mean?
Susan means "lily, graceful lily" and comes from Hebrew origins.
Is Susan more male or female?
Based on SSA records, 0% of people named Susan are male and 100% are female.
When was Susan most popular?
Susan peaked in 1955 with 47,484 births that year. Current trend: Declining.
How accurate are these statistics?
All figures are statistical estimates based on SSA birth records and age-adjusted modeling. See the methodology page for full details.