The rarest birthdays: Exploring the least common birth dates

Key takeaways

Everyone's birthday is special, but some are more rare than others. Interestingly enough, the patterns for rare birthdays occur for some very human reasons. Let's take a look at the least common birthdays and why they may be so rare.

What is the rarest birthday date? 

The #1 rarest birthday date is February 29. You have only a 1 in roughly 1,460 chance of being born on this date. Why? Two reasons:

• February 29 is Leap Day, which only occurs once every four years (during a leap year). 

• February is also one of the least popular months for new births in the United States in general. 

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Intrigued? Learn about the most common birthday dates. 

How rare is the rarest birth date? 

Data from the U.S. Social Security Administration shows that only about 363,000 people born on Feb. 29 (living or deceased) have been issued a Social Security number. That’s less than .001% of the current U.S. population. 

On a global scale, there are only about 5 million people born on Feb. 29. 

More unusual birth dates

If you look closely, you may notice a trend in the top 10 most uncommon birth dates. Here they are, starting with the second-rarest birth date in the United States. 

2. December 25

3. January 1

4. December 24

5. July 4

6. January 2 

7. December 26

8. November 27

9. November 23 

10. November 25 

Rarest birthdays by birthrate

How many babies are we talking about? Below are the rarest birthday dates ranked by birth rate in the U.S. Note that this list excludes Feb. 29. 

Why are some birth dates and months rarer than others?  

• Major events: In America, September 11 has seen a notable dip in birth rates since 2001, perhaps making it less common or popular for birthdays in the U.S.

• Cultural beliefs: In some other parts of the world, April 1, April Fool's Day, is the least common birthday. Often associated with pranks and jests, April 1 is considered unlucky in certain cultures. 

• Holidays and scheduling: Dec. 25 and other less-common U.S. birth dates tend to coincide with or surround major holidays. Christmas and Thanksgiving, for example, are federal holidays. With 1 in 3 births via C-section in the U.S., which is typically a scheduled surgery, many doctors avoid scheduling them around holidays or weekends. 

• Weather: U.S. data going back to the 1800s suggests more babies are conceived during colder fall and winter months. 

Happy birthday to everyone!

Whether your birthday is on a rare date or not, it’s a personal hallmark worthy of celebration (and a fabulous birthday note). Embracing these unique quirks in our calendar can make for memorable stories and special celebrations that stand out a little bit more.

Want more fun facts? Visit the Greenlight's Learning Center for helpful resources on all things family, finance, and fun.

This blog post is provided "as is" and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Some content in this post may have been created using artificial intelligence; however, every blog post is reviewed by at least two human editors.