Names / Boy names
General
Current rank
—
outside the top 1,000
All-time peak
#280
in 1885
First recorded
1880
in U.S. data
Children named
4,000
since 1880
Popularity over time
Annual U.S. children given the name · Peak #280 in 1885 · Source: Social Security Administration
Meaning & background
General is a boys' name that was first recorded in 1880. These days it lands below the top 1,000, so it still feels distinctive. Its strongest year was 1885, at #280 nationally. Over 4,000 have carried it since records began.