Holding steady, #11,932 for girls today.
Popularity of Missouri since 1880
Babies named Missouri per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1889, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Missouri's real moment was 1880.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 264 |
| 1890s | 230 |
| 1900s | 235 |
| 1910s | 269 |
| 1920s | 278 |
| 1930s | 121 |
| 1940s | 58 |
| 1950s | 52 |
| 1960s | 6 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 17 |
| 2010s | 36 |
| 2020s | 36 |
Meaning & origin
Missouri is a rare geographical name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1880, the earliest year of Social Security data. That year also marks its peak usage, though even then it was uncommon. The name has a stable trajectory with minimal fluctuations, never achieving widespread popularity. In 2025, Missouri had a rank of 11,932, with approximately 1 in 229,610 newborns receiving the name. It has been recorded primarily in midwestern states, though no single state dominates its use. As a place name adopted for personal use, Missouri carries a sense of American heritage and regional pride, yet remains an offbeat choice compared to more familiar state names like Georgia or Virginia.
Missouri is a place name adopted as a given name in the United States, derived from the Missouri River and state. The river's name originates from the Missouri tribe, whose name may come from the Illinois language "mihsouri" meaning "big canoe people" or from the Sioux "mni-shoshe" meaning "muddy water." The name saw sporadic use as a feminine given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reflecting a trend of using state and geographical names for girls.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Missy, Zuri, Mo
Sibling names for Missouri
Names that share Missouri's style, for a brother or sister.
