• About
  • Mortgage Basics
  • $40K Challenge
  • Aunt Doris
  • Grandfather Says
  • Privacy
  • Archives

Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Which Birth Dates Are Most (and Least) Common?

By Len Penzo

birthday cakeAccording to Wikipedia, more people are born during the months of September and October than any other time of the year.

Anecdotal evidence seems to back up Wikipedia’s claim — at least when it comes to my experience. For example, October is an especially busy month; I have close family members with birthdays on October 3rd, 10th, 11th, 13th, 18th and 28th. I have another close relative born on September 4th.

The New York Times took data from a Harvard University study of birth records in the United States between 1973 and 1999 and ranked all 366 birth dates in terms of frequency. The research found that the 10 most common birth dates are:

  1. September 16
  2. September 9
  3. September 23
  4. September 17
  5. September 22
  6. September 24
  7. September 21
  8. September 15
  9. September 10
  10. September 18

For what it’s worth, before I met the Honeybee, I had two relatively long-term girlfriends that were, coincidentally, both born on September 25th. I really shouldn’t be too surprised — September 25th is the eleventh most popular birth date.

As for the 10 least common birth dates, I bet you can guess at least a couple of them. Here they are:

  1. February 29
  2. December 25
  3. January 1
  4. December 24
  5. January 2
  6. July 4
  7. December 26
  8. November 28
  9. November 27
  10. November 26

Obviously, February 29th makes a lot of sense, considering that it usually only shows up once every four years. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve also seem reasonable. As for July 4th, I’m still trying to figure out an explanation.

So, how common is your birthday?

This heat map, which was designed by Matt Stiles using the same data compiled from the New York Times — and based upon Harvard University research — will give you a pretty good idea.

Common Birthdays

Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community: Visually.

Photo Credit: kimberlykv

August 31, 2016

Comments

  1. 1

    Kurt @ Money Counselor says

    What’s fun is to look back 9 months from the ‘hottest’ months and speculate about the causes and correlations with the apparent surge in unprotected sex!

  2. 2

    Jan Scholl says

    All those September birthdays go back to one night of insanity. New Years Eve. Women know.

  3. 3

    Jen from Virginia says

    Yup, my boys were born September 15th & 16th. Best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received from my ex-husband. Hahaha.

  4. 4

    Kevin @ RewardBoost.com says

    My fiancee and best friend share the same birthday: November 28th. That’s the 8th least common birthday of the year. I guess I just keep some oddball company!

    • 5

      Len Penzo says

      Speaking of oddball company … November 28th happens to be my mom and dad’s anniversary date!

      (Just kidding, Mom and Dad!)

  5. 6

    Doug Blasco says

    September 14th here. We Virgos will take over the world 😀

    • 7

      Len Penzo says

      My daughter, Nina, agrees with you, Doug.

      (By the way, you sent me an email awhile back … I haven’t forgot about it. I’m just way behind on answering.)

  6. 8

    Marilyn says

    Hey Kurt. You are right. I was born the last day of the 9th month. September 30.
    Hmmmmmm.

  7. 9

    Marcia says

    I read about this last year, when I was pregnant with my 2nd child (who incidentally was due right around July 4 – alas, born on 7/7, his actual due date).

    The reason why you’ll find July 4 is not common is the same as the other holidays. People don’t want to have babies on holidays. So Doctors do no schedule C-sections (what are they, 30% of all births now?) on holidays or the days near them. And they will not induce labor then either.

  8. 10

    Sandy says

    All of these babies were conceived around the holidays. That’s what happens with spice and everything nice…a little Christmas wine and New Year’s bubbly helps too. 😉

  9. 11

    Gina says

    I have family members born on September 14th, 16th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 25th, 26th and 30th. I guess you know what my relatives are doing between Christmas and New Years! ha ha

  10. 12

    Aiketa says

    The other day I was just thinking how many of my friends on facebook have a birthday in September…

  11. 13

    krantcents says

    It is good to know that my wife and I were born on less common birth dates.

  12. 14

    JD says

    I just read this. I feel so special, don’t you know. I was born on February 29th!
    And should anyone wonder, I always celebrate my birthday on the last day of February, whenever it falls.

  13. 15

    Joe @ Retire By 40 says

    The long cold winters really make a big difference. 😉

  14. 16

    GetRichWithMe says

    What else are we meant to do in winter when its cold. We’re all frugal we make our own heat

  15. 17

    maria@moneyprinciple says

    My birthday (13 October) doesn’t seem to be very popular but…it is just that powerful personality seem to occupy the date. Like Mrs Thatcher for instance.

  16. 18

    dojo says

    So it looks like the New Year’s is not only the time to make resolutions 😀

  17. 19

    Spedie says

    I was supposed to be born in the middle of Sept. Unfortunatey, the cat got in the way. I was born August 2nd, 6 weeks early, healthy and strong. I have only met/heard of one other person born on that date.

  18. 20

    Ashley says

    I kind of figured that most of the population enjoys their birthdays either on September or in October, but I was never sure!

  19. 21

    Wildra Lawayo says

    Y’all find me 365 ppl born on March 10 y’all better run!

Trackbacks

  1. My Kids’ Loan Interview with the Bank of Dad – Len Penzo dot Com says:
    September 22, 2018 at 8:05 pm

    […] Me: An income is how much money you earn from doing things like your chores, or getting money for your birthday. […]

The Question of the Week:

Did you buy any fireworks to celebrate Independence Day this year?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Recent Posts

  • Black Coffee: Born on the 4th of July
  • How To Start Investing In Cryptocurrencies
  • Grandfather Says: The Travails of Working with Stone
  • 5 Expert Tips for Saving Money with a Credit Card
  • How to Implement Strategic Planning Processes
  • Is It Better to Borrow From Your 401k or Take an Early Withdrawal?
  • When It Doesn’t Pay to Buy Big-Ticket Items on Sale
  • Black Coffee: Digital Castles in the Air
  • How to Improve Your Sports Betting Success
  • Toyota Has Started Accepting Bitcoin for Payment

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

Sign up for the weekly Len Penzo dot Com newsletter
Len Penzo dot Com Delivered Weekly
Join more than 40,000 readers and fans who enjoy personal finance and macroeconomics with an offbeat twist!
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing!

Popular Now:

  1. 1. The 6 Most Valuable Grocery Store Products
  2. 2. Series I Savings Bonds Are Now Paying 9.62%; Here Are Their Pros & Cons
  3. 3. 25 Examples of Shrinkflation That No Longer Fool Consumers
  4. 4. 7 Big Reasons Why a Roth IRA Isn’t the Best Way to Save for Retirement
  5. 5. 3 Ways That Great Sleep Helps You Get Richer
  6. 6. What’s the Fastest Way to Pay Down Your Mortgage Early?
  7. 7. How to Save Money on Dental Care So You Won’t Go Broke at the Dentist
  8. 8. Historical Gold & Silver Benchmarks for Wages and Commodity Prices
  9. 9. Tip Inflation: We’ve Got Nobody to Blame But Ourselves
  10. 10. 4 Good Reasons Why Some Quarters Are Painted Red

All-Time Most Popular:

  1. 1. 19 Things Your Suburban Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You
  2. 2. Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending You the Money
  3. 3. Why Your Expensive Luxury Car Doesn’t Impress Smart People
  4. 4. If You Can’t Live on $40,000 Annually It’s Your Own Fault
  5. 5. 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots Are for Suckers
  6. 6. 4 Smart Reasons Why College Isn’t for Everyone
  7. 7. 18 Fast Facts About Social Security Numbers
  8. 8. My Ketchup Taste Test: Upset! Guess Which Brand Topped Heinz
  9. 9. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  10. 10. Here’s a Simple Trick for Getting Credit Card Interest Charges Waived

Copyright © 2022 Len Penzo dot Com · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media

© Len Penzo dot Com 2008–2022