Converse
Associated with conversation, exchange of ideas or communion.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Converse. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Converse today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Converse births was 1914 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Converse. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Converse is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Converses were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Converse. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1914
5 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1953 SSA rank
#3,915
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Converse: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Converse from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Converse remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Converse by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Converse during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Converse
The name Converse is an English given name derived from the Latin verb "convertor," meaning "to turn around" or "to change direction." It originated as a surname during the Middle Ages, referring to someone who had converted to a different religion or way of life.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, England, where a person named Converse is mentioned. During this time, the name was likely given to individuals who had undergone a significant change or conversion, either religious or personal.
One of the earliest recorded examples of Converse as a first name dates back to the 16th century. Converse Sydenham (1515-1580) was an English clergyman and author known for his sermons and religious writings.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Converse. One of the most famous was Converse Goddard (1781-1858), an American inventor and entrepreneur who established the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in 1908, which later became the iconic Converse brand.
Another prominent figure was Converse J. Smith (1859-1926), an American lawyer and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York from 1903 to 1919.
In the literary world, Converse Herreshoff (1879-1964) was an American author and yachtsman who wrote several books on sailing and yacht design.
Converse Weston (1848-1926) was a renowned American architect who designed numerous notable buildings, including the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.
While the name Converse may not be as common today as it once was, its unique origin and historical significance continue to make it a distinctive and intriguing choice for a given name.
People
Converse + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Converse as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Converse: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Converse?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Converse going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Converse a common name?
We classify Converse as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Converse most popular?
The single biggest year for Converse was 1914, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Converse is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Converse in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Converse a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Converse in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Converse still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Converse in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Converse can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Converse?
Want to know how many people share the name Converse? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.