Holding steady, #10,695 for boys today.
Popularity of Sims since 1900
Babies named Sims per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1919, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Sims's real moment was 1900.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 11 |
| 1910s | 59 |
| 1920s | 65 |
| 1930s | 37 |
| 1940s | 46 |
| 1950s | 28 |
| 1960s | 11 |
| 1970s | 11 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 17 |
| 2010s | 16 |
| 2020s | 6 |
Meaning & origin
Sims is a rare given name that originated as an English surname, meaning 'son of Sim.' It saw its peak year of use in 1900, the earliest year recorded in the Social Security data, though even then it was uncommon. As of 2025, it ranks 10,695th, with an estimated 1 in 284,679 boys receiving the name. This rarity has kept it from appearing in any top state data, and its trajectory has been relatively stable over the decades. Sims remains an unconventional choice, appealing to parents who favor surname-style names with a straightforward, two-syllable sound.
Sims is an English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Sim,' where Sim is a medieval diminutive of Simon. Simon itself derives from the Hebrew name Shimon, meaning 'he has heard.' As a given name, Sims is rare and primarily used in the United States, appearing in records since the late 19th century.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Simms
Sibling names for Sims
Names that share Sims's style, for a brother or sister.
