Afton
Masculine · “Scottish river name”
Afton is given to both — 854 boys and 5,223 girls since 1880. See Afton as a girl nameSee other names given to both
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes. Robert Burns wrote that in 1791 about a small river in Ayrshire that would otherwise be known to nobody. The song traveled, the name went with it, and by 1910 American parents were using it for children who would never see Scotland.
How old is the name Afton?
Afton first appears in US birth records in 1910 — 115 years ago. The typical Afton alive today was born around 1991, making them about 34 years old. About 500 people named Afton are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Afton most popular?
Afton peaked in 1910, reaching #1421 nationally. Today it ranks #8243, 6,822 places below that high. See the whole 1910 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Afton
Burns wrote Sweet Afton for a tune already in circulation and it became one of his most widely sung songs, printed in American collections through the nineteenth century and set again by later composers. Its effect on the name is visible in the data: Afton appears in American records in the 1880s and peaks in 1910, with no prior history as a given name anywhere. Places called Afton were founded in Wyoming, Iowa, Minnesota and New York in the same period, some of them named directly for the song. This is a small but exact instance of a general pattern in nineteenth-century American naming, in which Scottish literature, chiefly Burns and Walter Scott, supplied a great deal of the name stock. The river itself is about ten miles long.
Meaningscholars disagree
Scottish river name, origin uncertain
Afton Water is a tributary of the River Nith in Ayrshire. The name has been explained from Old Norse aptann, evening, and from Old English af, a variant of the river-word that also gives Avon, but neither is established. River names are among the oldest layer of British toponymy and many of them predate every language now spoken on the island, so an unresolved etymology is the normal case rather than an exception.
Pronouncing Afton
AF-tun
Two syllables, stress on the first, short a. The second syllable is fully reduced, as it is in every English -ton name. There is no competing reading.
Nicknames for Afton
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1910
- Most boys named
- 200823 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1421reached in 1910
- Change vs 2024
- −35.7%9 in 2025, from 14
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Afton in other languages
Strongest US states over the last decade: Virginia.
Aftons among us
people named Afton are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 189,786 born in 2025 was named Afton
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Afton sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Afton beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Afton in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- It has a documented literary origin with a known author and year.
- The sound is unambiguous and easy to say.
- It fits the -ton pattern common in American naming.
- It is now more often given to girls in the United States.
- The river's own name has no settled etymology.
- Most people will not know the song.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Afton to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Afton? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Afton
Masculine · #8243 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Aftons are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Afton are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Afton in 2025?
- Afton ranks #8243 among US boy names in 2025, with 9 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Afton?
- About 1 in every 189,786 US boys born in 2025 was named Afton — 9 in all.
- Will my child share the name Afton with classmates?
- Afton will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Afton
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Danial#8243 · Ogden#8243 · Aaren#8243 · Trinity#8243 · Kourtney#8243 · Maury#8243 · Lindon#8243 · Elbert#8243
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Afton? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Afton and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle