Declining since 2017, #5,208 for boys today.
Popularity of Captain since 1883
Babies named Captain per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2018, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Captain's real moment was 1887.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 13 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 24 |
| 1920s | 18 |
| 1930s | 5 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 6 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 35 |
| 2010s | 236 |
| 2020s | 114 |
Meaning & origin
Captain is an occupational title turned given name, first recorded in 1883. Its peak popularity came in 1887, though it has never been common. After 1887, usage declined steadily, and by 2017 it entered a falling trajectory. As of 2025, it ranks 5,208th with a frequency of 1 in 94,893 births. The name is almost exclusively given to boys. It has no strong regional concentration, as top states are not recorded. Captain reflects a pattern of using military and nautical titles as first names, similar to Major or Duke, though it remains far less common.
Captain is taken directly from the English word captain, which itself comes from Latin capitaneus meaning 'chief' or 'head'. As a given name, it emerged in the late 19th century, likely inspired by the rank or as a nickname. Its use has been sporadic, with a recorded peak in the 1880s and a pattern of rare but persistent usage.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cap, Cappy
Variants: Capt'n
Sibling names for Captain
Names that share Captain's style, for a brother or sister.
