Holding steady.
Popularity of Seattle since 1994
Babies named Seattle per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 47 |
| 2000s | 38 |
| 2010s | 26 |
| 2020s | 16 |
Meaning & origin
Seattle is a modern place name that entered U.S. baby name records in 1994, inspired by the Pacific Northwest city. It reached its highest recorded usage in 1997, during the peak of the city's cultural cachet, and has since held a stable but very low profile. The name is nearly always given to girls, reflecting the common pattern of place names for females. As it has never appeared in the top 1000 rankings, Seattle remains a highly distinctive choice, carrying a strong geographic and historical association rather than a personal meaning.
Seattle is a place name taken from the city of Seattle, Washington, which itself was named after Chief Si'ahl (also spelled Sealth), a leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. The name began to be used as a given name in the United States in the 1990s, possibly influenced by the city's cultural prominence and the rise of grunge music. Its use as a personal name remains rare but is almost entirely female.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Seat, Seatie
Sibling names for Seattle
Names that share Seattle's style, for a brother or sister.
