At a glance
- In short
- Faith is an English virtue name meaning trust or belief, from Latin fides.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #254 of girl names
- Babies in 2025
- 1,212 (0.069% of girls)
- Trend
- Slipping #134 in 2020 to #254 in 2025
- Peak
- #48 in 2002
- Top state
- #78 in Hawaii
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Faith
Faith is an English virtue name taken directly from the word faith, meaning trust or belief. The word came into English through Old French from the Latin fides, meaning trust. English Puritans adopted it as a given name in the 17th century, along with other names drawn from Christian virtues.
It is pronounced FAYTH (/feɪθ/), as a single syllable. In Christian teaching, faith is one of the three virtues named by Saint Paul, alongside hope and love. Well-known bearers include the artist Faith Ringgold, celebrated for her narrative quilts, and the country singer Faith Hill.
In the United States, Faith climbed quickly in the 1990s, rising from 296th in 1990 to its peak rank of 48th in 2002. The most babies given the name in one year was 5,597, in 2003. It has become less common since then, and in 2025 it ranked 254th, with 1,212 babies.
How to pronounce Faith
English
- Pronounced fayth /feɪθ/
Popularity of Faith in the U.S.
Faith was the #254 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 1,212 babies. It peaked at #48 in 2002 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1888.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–2025 145 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,212 | 254 | ▼ 6 |
| 2024 | 1,285 | 248 | ▼ 11 |
| 2023 | 1,274 | 237 | ▼ 49 |
| 2022 | 1,568 | 188 | ▼ 23 |
| 2021 | 1,748 | 165 | ▼ 31 |
| 2020 | 2,003 | 134 | ▼ 10 |
| 2019 | 2,276 | 124 | ▼ 2 |
| 2018 | 2,473 | 122 | ▼ 5 |
| 2017 | 2,640 | 117 | ▼ 18 |
| 2016 | 3,093 | 99 | ▼ 9 |
| 2015 | 3,348 | 90 | ▼ 11 |
| 2014 | 3,739 | 79 | ▲ 10 |
| 2013 | 3,419 | 89 | ▼ 14 |
| 2012 | 3,561 | 75 | ▼ 5 |
| 2011 | 3,733 | 70 | ▲ 4 |
| 2010 | 3,705 | 74 | ▲ 5 |
| 2009 | 3,771 | 79 | ▲ 11 |
| 2008 | 3,636 | 90 | ▼ 16 |
| 2007 | 4,307 | 74 | ▼ 12 |
| 2006 | 4,864 | 62 | ▼ 13 |
| 2005 | 5,256 | 49 | ▲ 3 |
| 2004 | 5,421 | 52 | ▼ 2 |
| 2003 | 5,597 | 50 | ▼ 2 |
| 2002 | 5,527 | 48 | ▲ 5 |
| 2001 | 5,411 | 53 | ▲ 13 |
| 2000 | 4,999 | 66 | ▲ 10 |
| 1999 | 4,236 | 76 | ▲ 31 |
| 1998 | 3,217 | 107 | ▲ 17 |
| 1997 | 2,577 | 124 | ▲ 25 |
| 1996 | 2,159 | 149 | ▲ 24 |
| 1995 | 1,747 | 173 | ▲ 46 |
| 1994 | 1,305 | 219 | ▲ 26 |
| 1993 | 1,134 | 245 | ▼ 1 |
| 1992 | 1,140 | 244 | ▲ 16 |
| 1991 | 1,074 | 260 | ▲ 36 |
| 1990 | 940 | 296 | ▲ 68 |
| 1989 | 707 | 364 | ▲ 19 |
| 1988 | 621 | 383 | ▲ 22 |
| 1987 | 561 | 405 | ▼ 34 |
| 1986 | 634 | 371 | ▲ 34 |
| 1985 | 558 | 405 | ▼ 42 |
| 1984 | 635 | 363 | ▼ 19 |
| 1983 | 663 | 344 | ▲ 1 |
| 1982 | 686 | 345 | ▼ 40 |
| 1981 | 795 | 305 | – |
| 1980 | 806 | 305 | ▼ 22 |
| 1979 | 861 | 283 | ▼ 7 |
| 1978 | 840 | 276 | ▲ 18 |
| 1977 | 803 | 294 | ▲ 48 |
| 1976 | 637 | 342 | ▲ 32 |
| 1975 | 556 | 374 | ▲ 9 |
| 1974 | 542 | 383 | ▲ 13 |
| 1973 | 512 | 396 | ▼ 4 |
| 1972 | 526 | 392 | ▲ 12 |
| 1971 | 529 | 404 | ▲ 8 |
| 1970 | 550 | 412 | ▲ 10 |
| 1969 | 523 | 422 | ▼ 18 |
| 1968 | 533 | 404 | ▼ 31 |
| 1967 | 595 | 373 | ▼ 18 |
| 1966 | 654 | 355 | ▼ 13 |
| 1965 | 708 | 342 | ▼ 6 |
| 1964 | 806 | 336 | ▼ 1 |
| 1963 | 794 | 335 | ▲ 17 |
| 1962 | 729 | 352 | ▼ 17 |
| 1961 | 783 | 335 | ▼ 17 |
| 1960 | 875 | 318 | ▲ 5 |
| 1959 | 839 | 323 | ▲ 14 |
| 1958 | 786 | 337 | ▼ 19 |
| 1957 | 827 | 318 | ▼ 4 |
| 1956 | 779 | 314 | ▼ 10 |
| 1955 | 800 | 304 | ▲ 22 |
| 1954 | 676 | 326 | ▲ 11 |
| 1953 | 604 | 337 | – |
| 1952 | 602 | 337 | ▼ 10 |
| 1951 | 588 | 327 | ▲ 51 |
| 1950 | 457 | 378 | ▲ 28 |
| 1949 | 387 | 406 | ▼ 9 |
| 1948 | 400 | 397 | ▼ 23 |
| 1947 | 459 | 374 | ▼ 11 |
| 1946 | 436 | 363 | ▼ 29 |
| 1945 | 424 | 334 | ▼ 15 |
| 1944 | 447 | 319 | ▼ 29 |
| 1943 | 570 | 290 | ▼ 4 |
| 1942 | 571 | 286 | ▲ 13 |
| 1941 | 463 | 299 | ▲ 31 |
| 1940 | 371 | 330 | ▼ 14 |
| 1939 | 383 | 316 | ▲ 44 |
| 1938 | 327 | 360 | ▼ 13 |
| 1937 | 339 | 347 | ▼ 18 |
| 1936 | 354 | 329 | ▲ 34 |
| 1935 | 301 | 363 | ▼ 13 |
| 1934 | 325 | 350 | ▼ 8 |
| 1933 | 330 | 342 | ▲ 2 |
| 1932 | 340 | 344 | ▲ 57 |
| 1931 | 261 | 401 | ▲ 46 |
| 1930 | 230 | 447 | ▲ 31 |
| 1929 | 199 | 478 | ▼ 7 |
| 1928 | 212 | 471 | ▲ 4 |
| 1927 | 216 | 475 | ▼ 24 |
| 1926 | 225 | 451 | ▲ 9 |
| 1925 | 225 | 460 | ▼ 5 |
| 1924 | 232 | 455 | ▲ 9 |
| 1923 | 222 | 464 | – |
| 1922 | 219 | 464 | ▲ 48 |
| 1921 | 190 | 512 | ▲ 50 |
| 1920 | 164 | 562 | ▼ 4 |
| 1919 | 152 | 558 | ▼ 29 |
| 1918 | 174 | 529 | ▲ 5 |
| 1917 | 156 | 534 | ▲ 102 |
| 1916 | 113 | 636 | ▼ 60 |
| 1915 | 126 | 576 | ▲ 19 |
| 1914 | 91 | 595 | ▼ 22 |
| 1913 | 79 | 573 | ▲ 23 |
| 1912 | 67 | 596 | ▲ 28 |
| 1911 | 47 | 624 | ▲ 86 |
| 1910 | 35 | 710 | ▼ 86 |
| 1909 | 39 | 624 | ▲ 25 |
| 1908 | 35 | 649 | ▲ 191 |
| 1907 | 20 | 840 | ▼ 278 |
| 1906 | 39 | 562 | ▲ 286 |
| 1905 | 19 | 848 | ▼ 180 |
| 1904 | 27 | 668 | ▼ 94 |
| 1903 | 32 | 574 | ▲ 182 |
| 1902 | 21 | 756 | ▼ 179 |
| 1901 | 29 | 577 | ▲ 34 |
| 1900 | 33 | 611 | ▼ 46 |
| 1899 | 29 | 565 | ▼ 55 |
| 1898 | 37 | 510 | ▲ 105 |
| 1897 | 25 | 615 | ▼ 21 |
| 1896 | 27 | 594 | ▲ 91 |
| 1895 | 21 | 685 | ▼ 76 |
| 1894 | 23 | 609 | ▲ 185 |
| 1893 | 14 | 794 | ▼ 178 |
| 1892 | 21 | 616 | ▼ 119 |
| 1891 | 27 | 497 | ▲ 375 |
| 1890 | 10 | 872 | ▼ 231 |
| 1889 | 16 | 641 | ▲ 83 |
| 1888 | 13 | 724 | ▲ 423 |
| 1887 | 5 | 1,147 | ▼ 591 |
| 1886 | 16 | 556 | ▲ 139 |
| 1885 | 10 | 695 | ▲ 235 |
| 1884 | 6 | 930 | back (not recorded in 1883) |
| 1882 | 9 | 634 | ▲ 196 |
| 1881 | 5 | 830 | ▼ 92 |
| 1880 | 6 | 738 | – |
Faith by state
Faith ranks #78 in Hawaii (2025).
Rank by state 43 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 78 | 9 |
| South Dakota | 117 | 9 |
| Alaska | 134 | 5 |
| Oregon | 154 | 23 |
| Maryland | 156 | 31 |
| Arkansas | 164 | 18 |
| New Hampshire | 174 | 7 |
| North Dakota | 195 | 5 |
| Georgia | 204 | 52 |
| Mississippi | 218 | 12 |
| Connecticut | 220 | 15 |
| California | 221 | 150 |
| Florida | 223 | 83 |
| Michigan | 223 | 40 |
| Tennessee | 226 | 35 |
| Minnesota | 232 | 24 |
| Pennsylvania | 235 | 48 |
| Wisconsin | 237 | 23 |
| Virginia | 246 | 33 |
| Ohio | 248 | 45 |
| Iowa | 248 | 14 |
| Texas | 259 | 134 |
| Arizona | 264 | 27 |
| Missouri | 265 | 23 |
| Nevada | 292 | 9 |
| Louisiana | 295 | 15 |
| New Mexico | 296 | 5 |
| North Carolina | 297 | 37 |
| Washington | 301 | 24 |
| Massachusetts | 302 | 19 |
| West Virginia | 308 | 5 |
| Utah | 310 | 14 |
| New York | 311 | 54 |
| Illinois | 331 | 32 |
| Indiana | 333 | 21 |
| Oklahoma | 340 | 12 |
| Kansas | 361 | 9 |
| Colorado | 370 | 16 |
| New Jersey | 372 | 21 |
| Alabama | 391 | 12 |
| Idaho | 402 | 5 |
| South Carolina | 467 | 10 |
| Kentucky | 570 | 7 |
Notable people named Faith
- Faith Ringgold was an American artist, author, and activist best known for her narrative quilts.
- Faith Hill, born Audrey Faith McGraw, is an American country singer and one of the best selling country artists, with nearly 50 million albums sold worldwide.
- Faith Evans is an American R and B singer, songwriter, and actress who became Bad Boy Records inaugural female artist, won a Grammy for I Will Be Missing You, and released acclaimed albums including Faith, Keep the Faith, and Faithfully.
- Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon is a Kenyan middle and long distance runner who holds the 1500 meters and mile world records, is the only three time Olympic 1500 meters champion, formerly held the 5000 meters record, and is a multiple world champion in the 1500 and 5000.
- Faith Yvonne Leech was an Australian freestyle swimmer who won gold in the 4x100 meter relay and bronze in the 100 meter freestyle at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
- Faith Alexis Ford is an American actress best known for playing Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown, earning five Primetime Emmy nominations, and Hope Shanowski on Hope and Faith.