Read
An English name derived from the Old English word "rædan" meaning "to advise".
Name Census estimates that about 223 living Americans carry the first name Read. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Read today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Read births was 1949 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Read. 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.
People living today
223
~ 1 in 1,537,015 Americans
Peak year
1949
14 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,603
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Read: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Read from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 53 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Read 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 Read 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 Read
The given name Read is an English name derived from the Old English verb "rædan," meaning "to advise" or "to counsel." The name's origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD.
The name Read is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname for individuals who possessed the ability to read or had a reputation for providing wise counsel. Over time, it transitioned into being used as a given name, particularly among families with a strong literary or scholarly tradition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Read can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
Historically, the name Read has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to the literary and academic realms. Notable examples include Sir Walter Read (1588-1669), an English scholar and writer who served as the principal secretary to Sir Francis Bacon. Another prominent figure was Alexander Read (1586-1641), a Scottish philosopher and educator who served as the rector of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.
During the Renaissance period, the name Read gained popularity among intellectuals and scholars. One noteworthy bearer was Conyers Read (1681-1744), an English philosopher and mathematician who made contributions to the field of natural philosophy.
In the realm of literature, the name Read has been borne by several acclaimed authors and poets. Sir Herbert Read (1893-1968) was an influential English poet, literary critic, and anarchist philosopher known for his works on art and literature.
The 19th century saw the rise of prominent figures with the name Read, including Sir John Meredith Read (1837-1896), a British diplomat and author who served as the British Minister to Sweden and Norway.
Throughout history, the name Read has consistently been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and intellectual endeavors. While not as common as some other English names, it has maintained a presence within literary and academic circles, reflecting its linguistic roots and connotations of erudition and counsel.
People
Read + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Read as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Read: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Read?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 223 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Read 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 1,537,015 US residents.
Is Read a common name?
We classify Read as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 308 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Read most popular?
The single biggest year for Read was 1949, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Read is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Read a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Read 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.
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.