Loyalty
A feminine virtue name derived from the Old French word "loial".
Name Census estimates that about 2,625 living Americans carry the first name Loyalty. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 84.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Loyalty today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Loyalty births was 2021 (313 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Loyalty. 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
- • Loyalty is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 7 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.6K
~ 1 in 130,573 Americans
Peak year
2021
313 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,458
Tracked since 2004
Gender
Gender distribution for Loyalty
Loyalty leans heavily female at 84.1% of total registrations, but 419 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Loyalty as a male name
- Ranked #2,850 in 2024
- 45 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (45 births)
Loyalty as a female name
- Ranked #1,458 in 2024
- 150 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (268 births)
Popularity
Loyalty: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Loyalty from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 1,296 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Loyalty 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 Loyalty during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Loyaltys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 26 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Loyalty, while Minnesota, Washington, Oklahoma recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 60 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Loyalty
The name Loyalty is a virtue name derived from the English word "loyalty," which comes from the Old French word "loialté" and ultimately from the Latin word "legalitas," meaning "legal" or "lawful." The name first emerged in the English-speaking world during the late 16th century, a time when virtue names were becoming increasingly popular.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Loyalty can be found in the writings of John Milton, the famous English poet who lived from 1608 to 1674. In his epic poem "Paradise Lost," Milton personified Loyalty as a virtue, reflecting the growing importance placed on this quality during that period.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Loyalty gained popularity among English Puritans and Quakers, who often chose names that reflected their religious beliefs and values. It was seen as a way to instill the virtue of loyalty in their children, particularly towards God and the state.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Loyalty was Loyalty Vernon (1676-1741), an English writer and politician who served as a member of parliament for several years. Another was Loyalty Wilkinson (1765-1825), an American physician and Revolutionary War soldier known for his unwavering loyalty to the cause of independence.
In the 19th century, the name Loyalty continued to be used, although less frequently than in previous centuries. One notable bearer of the name was Loyalty Vance Wert (1855-1926), an American farmer and businessman who served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio.
Another notable figure with the name Loyalty was Loyalty Burrage (1874-1962), an American lawyer and philanthropist who co-founded the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and served as its president for many years.
While the name Loyalty has fallen out of widespread use in recent times, it remains a unique and meaningful choice for parents seeking to instill the virtue of loyalty in their child. Its rich history and connection to important historical figures make it a name with a deep and enduring legacy.
People
Loyalty + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Loyalty as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Loyalty: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Loyalty?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,625 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Loyalty 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 130,573 US residents.
Is Loyalty a common name?
We classify Loyalty as "Rare". It ranks above 94.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,642 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Loyalty most popular?
The single biggest year for Loyalty was 2021, when 313 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Loyalty is about 7 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 Loyalty in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Loyalty a female name?
Yes, 84.1% of people registered as Loyalty 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.
Is Loyalty still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Loyalty 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 Loyalty 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 have Loyalty as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.