Faith
A feminine name of Latin origin signifying trust, belief, or confidence.
Name Census estimates that about 132,051 living Americans carry the first name Faith. It sits at #249 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Faith today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Faith births was 2003 (5,612 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Faith. 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
- • Although Faith is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 283 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
132K
~ 1 in 2,596 Americans
Peak year
2003
5,612 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#249
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Faith
Out of the 146,868 babies given the name Faith since 1880, 99.8% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Faith as a male name
- Ranked #9,237 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2004 (27 births)
Faith as a female name
- Ranked #249 in 2024
- 1,272 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2003 (5,597 births)
Popularity
Faith: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Faith from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 48,887 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Faith 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 Faith during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Faiths live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Faith, while Vermont, Wyoming, North Dakota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 2,788 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Faith
The name Faith originates from the Latin word "fides" meaning trust, belief, or confidence. It stems from the root word "fid" which means to trust or have faith. The name first emerged in medieval Europe during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.
Faith has its roots in Christianity and was initially a virtue name, representing one of the three theological virtues along with hope and charity. The name gained popularity among Christians who wanted to express their religious devotion and unwavering faith in God.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Faith can be found in the 16th century, when Faith Waldo, an English Protestant martyr, was burned at the stake in 1556 for her religious beliefs during the Marian Persecutions.
In the 17th century, Faith Robinson Trumbull (1718-1780) was a notable figure in colonial America, known for her role in establishing Yale College and her philanthropic efforts.
Faith Whittlesey (1939-2018) was an American diplomat and politician who served as the United States Ambassador to Switzerland from 1981 to 1988.
Faith Ringgold (born 1930) is an influential American artist and author, best known for her narrative quilts that depict stories of African American life and history.
Faith Hubley (1924-2001) was an American animator, writer, and director, renowned for her independent and experimental animated films that explored social and political themes.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the name Faith, reflecting its deep-rooted connection to religious beliefs, unwavering trust, and personal convictions.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Faith
People
Faith + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Faith as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Faith: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Faith?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 132,051 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Faith 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 2,596 US residents.
Is Faith a common name?
We classify Faith as "Common". It ranks above 99.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 146,868 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Faith most popular?
The single biggest year for Faith was 2003, when 5,612 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Faith is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Faith a female name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Faith in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.