Girl nameCurrently #1,136 in the USFalling
Susan
SOO-zun//ˈsuːzən//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19555 lettersStarts with S
Meaning & origin
Lily
Susan derives from the Hebrew Shoshana, meaning lily, a flower long associated with purity and beauty in Middle Eastern and biblical tradition. Enormously popular in the mid-20th century, it now has a comfortable, familiar retro feel.
Susan's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Susan |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 286 |
| 1881 | 292 |
| 1882 | 326 |
| 1883 | 322 |
| 1884 | 326 |
| 1885 | 302 |
| 1886 | 323 |
| 1887 | 335 |
| 1888 | 363 |
| 1889 | 356 |
| 1890 | 354 |
| 1891 | 370 |
| 1892 | 366 |
| 1893 | 356 |
| 1894 | 357 |
| 1895 | 393 |
| 1896 | 343 |
| 1897 | 346 |
| 1898 | 382 |
| 1899 | 350 |
| 1900 | 410 |
| 1901 | 342 |
| 1902 | 335 |
| 1903 | 305 |
| 1904 | 324 |
| 1905 | 320 |
| 1906 | 326 |
| 1907 | 355 |
| 1908 | 350 |
| 1909 | 380 |
| 1910 | 395 |
| 1911 | 459 |
| 1912 | 522 |
| 1913 | 543 |
| 1914 | 661 |
| 1915 | 822 |
| 1916 | 844 |
| 1917 | 837 |
| 1918 | 912 |
| 1919 | 824 |
| 1920 | 850 |
| 1921 | 846 |
| 1922 | 795 |
| 1923 | 811 |
| 1924 | 832 |
| 1925 | 862 |
| 1926 | 858 |
| 1927 | 874 |
| 1928 | 812 |
| 1929 | 874 |
| 1930 | 1,003 |
| 1931 | 1,005 |
| 1932 | 1,236 |
| 1933 | 1,269 |
| 1934 | 1,501 |
| 1935 | 1,806 |
| 1936 | 2,165 |
| 1937 | 2,651 |
| 1938 | 3,571 |
| 1939 | 4,907 |
| 1940 | 6,783 |
| 1941 | 8,927 |
| 1942 | 12,069 |
| 1943 | 14,938 |
| 1944 | 16,385 |
| 1945 | 19,276 |
| 1946 | 28,327 |
| 1947 | 32,015 |
| 1948 | 36,044 |
| 1949 | 37,761 |
| 1950 | 38,074 |
| 1951 | 40,272 |
| 1952 | 41,403 |
| 1953 | 44,368 |
| 1954 | 47,228 |
| 1955 | 47,484 |
| 1956 | 46,629 |
| 1957 | 46,049 |
| 1958 | 45,259 |
| 1959 | 41,703 |
| 1960 | 39,289 |
| 1961 | 37,617 |
| 1962 | 35,836 |
| 1963 | 34,070 |
| 1964 | 31,599 |
| 1965 | 26,375 |
| 1966 | 23,842 |
| 1967 | 22,326 |
| 1968 | 19,561 |
| 1969 | 17,855 |
| 1970 | 15,791 |
| 1971 | 13,828 |
| 1972 | 10,618 |
| 1973 | 9,310 |
| 1974 | 8,507 |
| 1975 | 7,519 |
| 1976 | 6,422 |
| 1977 | 5,979 |
| 1978 | 5,439 |
| 1979 | 5,219 |
| 1980 | 4,723 |
| 1981 | 4,259 |
| 1982 | 3,986 |
| 1983 | 3,371 |
| 1984 | 3,131 |
| 1985 | 2,679 |
| 1986 | 2,406 |
| 1987 | 2,258 |
| 1988 | 2,076 |
| 1989 | 1,815 |
| 1990 | 1,700 |
| 1991 | 1,479 |
| 1992 | 1,380 |
| 1993 | 1,208 |
| 1994 | 1,025 |
| 1995 | 894 |
| 1996 | 963 |
| 1997 | 807 |
| 1998 | 758 |
| 1999 | 707 |
| 2000 | 693 |
| 2001 | 638 |
| 2002 | 615 |
| 2003 | 576 |
| 2004 | 538 |
| 2005 | 487 |
| 2006 | 495 |
| 2007 | 467 |
| 2008 | 431 |
| 2009 | 379 |
| 2010 | 356 |
| 2011 | 356 |
| 2012 | 328 |
| 2013 | 319 |
| 2014 | 332 |
| 2015 | 300 |
| 2016 | 306 |
| 2017 | 281 |
| 2018 | 235 |
| 2019 | 244 |
| 2020 | 262 |
| 2021 | 226 |
| 2022 | 211 |
| 2023 | 223 |
| 2024 | 213 |
Susan through the decades
- Susan peaked in 1955, when 47,484 babies were named Susan in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Susan has fallen 37% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Susan currently ranks #1,136 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
SueSusie
Variants & spellings
SusannaSuzanne
Famous people named Susan
- Susan B. Anthony — suffragist