US birth records · 1880–2025

Before it goes on the birth certificate, read what the records say.

NameProof checks the names you’re considering against 8.9 million US birth records, a 135,039-word pronunciation dictionary, and a human-reviewed table of what a name gets teased as — then tells you which one to use, and what it couldn’t check.

Compare a shortlist $4.99 onceComprehensive report that grades 2–6 names, then recommends the best choice for you
Check one name $0.99 onceComprehensive report on the chosen name
Find names freeInteractive session to find names that fit your family

No account needed. Name Match is always free. Pay once for a report, no subscription.

Specimen · sample reportGirl · California · sibling: Oliver
#241 nationally, risingMaeve1 in 100 classes has another Maeve
RoseM·R·H initials are clear
1–1–2 syllablesHartleyNo sound collisions at the seams
146years of recordsSocial Security Administration, 1880–2025
105,966names rankedNationally and in all 51 state scopes
135,039pronunciationsCMU Pronouncing Dictionary
≈1 minto your reportComputed per name, never from a template

Contents of one report

Ten checks on every name. Eleven if you’re comparing.

Not a meaning and a popularity graph. Each check runs against a named source, and each one can come back inconclusive — in which case the report says so. Open any check to see the panel it produces.

01National and state rankWhere the name sits this year, and in your state, against every other name given that year.Both reports
Report panel: national rank #241, rising, and CA rank #316.
02Ten-year trajectoryRising, stable or falling, charted against the other names you’re weighing. The five-year projection is labeled an estimate.Both reports
Report panel: ten-year national rank chart, climbing steadily since 2015.
03Classroom collision oddsThe chance another child in the class shares the name, computed from this year’s share of births.Both reports
Report panel: about 1 in 100 classes would have two Maeves, drawn as a hundred classrooms.
04Living median ageWhether the name reads as a newborn’s or a grandparent’s, from actuarial survival tables.Both reports
Report panel: living median age 12, mostly worn by kids and teens.
05Rhythm of the full nameThe syllable pattern across first, middle and last, and the sounds that collide where one name meets the next.Both reports
Report finding: rhythm is clear, Maeve Rose Hartley runs 1–1–2 syllables.
06Initials, against a watchlistThe three-letter monogram, checked for the ones you’d regret on a suitcase.Both reports
Report finding: initials are clear, MRH does not match the watchlist.
07Spellings and ways to say itHow often your spelling is the one used, and how many ways the name gets said aloud.Both reports
Report panel: spelling variants and pronunciation checks.
08Teasing, pop culture, second languageA human-reviewed table — film, song, meme, playground — plus how the name lands in a language spoken at home.Both reports
Report panel: association checks and Spanish language checks.
09How it sits beside your other childrenEra, length, first letter, rhyme and shared nicknames, against each sibling you list.Both reports
Report panel: sibling fit against an older brother named Oliver.
10A second opinion, labeled as opinionAI reads the finished report and ranks the names in plain language. It never moves the evidence score, and the report says so.Both reports
Report panel: AI assessment ranking three names, marked as opinion.
11Every name side by side, rankedOne table, every figure and check per name, an evidence score out of 100, and the reasoning behind the pick.Shortlist only
Report comparison table: Maeve, Clara and Eloise scored side by side.

What we won’t do

A check we couldn’t run is printed, not quietly dropped.

Most name sites answer every question with equal confidence, because nothing is being checked against anything. Ours ends with the list of what the evidence didn’t cover for your names — which is the only way the rest of the report is worth reading.

Limits, from a real report

  • Eloise has no reviewed origin or meaning entry yet, so that report doesn’t show one.
  • The Spanish sound checks are AI-drafted and not yet reviewed by a native speaker.
  • Fewer than five births in your state means the state rank is suppressed at the source.
  • An empty association table is not proof that a name is safe. It means we found nothing in the table we keep.

Where the answers come from

Every figure traces back to a named source.

SSASocial Security Administration birth recordsEvery rank, count, trend and collision figure. 1880 through 2025, nationally and per state.8.9M rows
CMUCarnegie Mellon Pronouncing DictionarySyllables, stress, and the ways a name can be said aloud.135,039 entries
SSAPeriod life tablesThe median age of people alive today carrying the name.Actuarial
REVReviewed association tableTeasing and pop-culture rows, each with a source and a review date. Written by a person.Editorial
AIAI, labeled wherever it appearsWrites meanings and history, drafts second-language checks, and gives a second opinion that never moves the evidence score.Marked in report

Three ways in

Which one you need depends on how many names you already have.

Both reports run the same ten checks on every name you give them. What changes is how many names you bring, and what you leave holding.

None yet

Name Match

Free

Sixteen candidates shaped around your last name, your other children and the traditions in your family. You pick your favorites two at a time until four are left.

You bring
A last name, and anything else you want considered
You leave with
Four names you chose yourself
Checks run
None. This finds candidates; the reports test them
Find names for free

A few, and you can’t choose

Shortlist

Regular price $9.99 now $4.99 once

Two to six names, each put through all ten checks, then ranked side by side with an evidence score out of 100 and the reasoning written out.

You bring
Two to six names
You leave with
One pick, ranked, with the case for it
Checks run
All ten per name, plus the comparison table
Compare a shortlist

One you want to be sure about

Name Check

Regular price $2.99 now $0.99 once

The name you’ve settled on, put through the same ten checks, ending in a go-or-caution verdict and the evidence behind it.

You bring
One name
You leave with
A verdict, and what would change it
Checks run
All ten
Check one name

The four names Name Match leaves you with go straight into a Shortlist report — you don’t retype them. Nothing here renews: each report is bought once, and there is no account to close.

Before you buy

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an account?

No. You get a private link to your report, and can add an email if you’d like a copy.

What if we don’t live in the US?

The report still uses US birth records and says so, and skips the state ranking.

Can we leave gender open?

Yes. Choose Other and the report counts girls and boys together.

Does AI choose the name?

No. The pick comes from the computed evidence. The AI’s view is shown separately as a second opinion.

I have no names yet—where do I start?

Start with Name Match: meet 16 candidates shaped around your preferences, then narrow them to four.

What happens after Name Match?

Your four finalists move into Shortlist, where NameProof compares their popularity, sound, associations and sibling fit.

Can I compare middle names?

Yes. Add the first name you’ve chosen, then compare middle-name options in the full-name context.

Can my partner see the results?

Yes. Share the private report link or use the report’s Share button.

How private is my report?

Reports use private, unguessable links; an account is not required.

The name is permanent. Checking it takes about a minute.

Start with the name you love, the few you can’t choose between, or no names at all.

Compare a shortlist $4.99 onceComprehensive report that grades 2–6 names, then recommends the best choice for you
Check one name $0.99 onceComprehensive report on the chosen name
Find names freeInteractive session to find names that fit your family

A private link, ready in about a minute. Open the full sample report.