A 1910s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Hamlet since 1911
Babies named Hamlet per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2019, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hamlet's real moment was 1911.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 36 |
| 1920s | 14 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 13 |
| 1990s | 41 |
| 2000s | 70 |
| 2010s | 61 |
| 2020s | 13 |
Meaning & origin
Hamlet is a name that practically vibrates with literary gravity, yet its actual use as a given name in the United States has always been vanishingly rare. The Social Security data shows a single recorded birth in 1911, the peak year, after which the name largely disappeared for decades. Only in 2022 did a modest resurgence begin, placing the name on a rising trajectory. In 2025, Hamlet ranked 8,910th nationally, with roughly 1 in 213,510 male newborns receiving the name. Its revival mirrors a broader cultural appetite for Shakespearean names, though it remains far less common than Ophelia or Juliet. Hamlet's handful of recorded uses cluster in states with strong theatrical or literary traditions, but no single state has emerged as a stronghold. The name carries the full weight of its tragic hero, a factor that will appeal to parents seeking a name of unmistakable cultural resonance.
Hamlet is derived from the Old French 'hamel', a diminutive of 'ham' meaning 'home' or 'village', but the name is inextricably linked to William Shakespeare's tragedy 'Hamlet' (ca. 1600). The play's Danish prince is the sole cultural reference for the name as a given name. Its use in the United States has been rare and sporadic, with minimal recorded usage before the 1910s.
Sibling names for Hamlet
Names that share Hamlet's style, for a brother or sister.
