The Most Common Birthdays In The World
Ever wondered why certain birthday clusters keep popping up on your calendar? Around the world, births don’t arrive evenly across the year. Cultural customs, climate, and even hospital scheduling all nudge due dates toward particular days, while weekends, holidays, and leap years do the opposite.
In many countries, late summer and early autumn see noticeable surges; in others, auspicious numerals or festival seasons shape the curve. Planned deliveries, public-holiday staffing, and the timing of conceptions, think winter gatherings in the Northern Hemisphere, leave fingerprints on the data. This WorldAtlas guide highlights the dates that most often light up with candles, and why patterns differ from place to place.
The Common Birthdates of Notable People
| Birthdate | Notable Individuals |
|---|---|
| July 7 |
Emperors Shirakawa (1053) & Sutoku (1119), Ringo Starr (1940), Michelle Kwan (1980) |
| September 9 |
Harland David Sanders (1890), Otis Redding (1941), Adam Sandler (1966)
|
| September 10 | Arnold Palmer (1929), Bill O'Reilly (1949), Jack Ma (1964) |
| September 12 |
Irene Joliot-Curie (1897), Jesse Owens (1913), Barry White (1944)
|
| September 15 |
Marco Polo (1254), Agatha Christie (1890), Prince Harry (1984)
|
| September 16 |
Yuan Shikai (1859), B.B. King (1925), David Copperfield (1956)
|
| September 17 |
Hank Williams (1923), Phil Jackson (1945), Narendra Modi (1950)
|
| September 18 |
Emperor Trajan (53 CE), James Gandolfini (1961), Lance Armstrong (1971)
|
| September 19 |
Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (1749), William Golding (1911), Joe Morgan (1943)
|
| September 20 |
Ernesto Teodoro Moneta (1833), George R.R. Martin (1948), John Tavares (1990)
|
September 9th
Out of 365 possibilities, September 9th averages the most annual newborns. Over the years, such would-be people of interest have included, Harland David Sanders (i.e. Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken), born in 1890, singer-songwriter Otis "The King of Soul" Redding (1941), and comedian Adam Sandler (1966).
September 19th
The second-most popular birthday (on average) comes ten days later on September 19th. In 1749, this day saw the arrival of the would-be French mathematician Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre. In 1911, English novelist (most famously, author of Lord of the Flies), William Golding, was born. In 1943, the future national baseball player/broadcaster, Joe Morgan, got his start on the planet.
September 12th
Rounding out the birthday podium is September 12th. This day started off the lives of Nobel Prize winner (chemistry) Irene Joliot-Curie (1897), and four-time Olympic gold medal sprinter Jesse Owens (1913); and demonstrating that the universe does have some rhyme/reason, the creator of everyone's favorite baby-making music, Barry White (1944).
September 17th
Five days later comes the fourth-most popular birthday. September 17th welcomed country music legend Hank Williams, in 1923, decorated National Basketball player and coach, Phil Jackson, in 1945, and current Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in 1950.
September 10th
The day after the most popular birth date still makes it into the top five. September 10th saw the arrival of eventual professional golfer Arnold Palmer (1929), long-standing television host and conservative commentator, Bill O'Reilly (1949), and mysterious business magnate/philanthropist, Jack Ma (1964).
July 7th
The only non-September date to crack the top ten is July 7th. Two emperors of Japan, Shirakawa (1053) and Sutoku (1119) came into being on this day, as did Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr (1940) and accomplished figure skater, Michelle Kwan (1980).
September 20th
Lucky number seven, September 20th, was blessed with the baby form of the eventual Nobel Peace Prize-winning adult, Ernesto Teodoro Moneta (1833), beloved author of Song of Ice and Fire (adapted into the cultural phenomenon TV show, Game of Thrones), George R.R. Martin (1948), and still-in-action star hockey player, John Tavares (1990).
September 15th
Backing things up by one standard work-week brings us to September 15th. This day welcomed iconic Italian explorer, Marco Polo, in 1254, compelling novelist, Agatha Christie, in 1890, and Henry Charles Albert David (i.e. Prince Harry), in 1984.
September 16th
Close in tow is September 16th, which brought the Chinese general and President, Yuan Shikai, into the world in 1859. Revered blues musician, B.B. King, and mind-melting magician, David Copperfield, also began their lives in 1925 and 1956, respectively.
September 18th
Capping off the top ten most popular birthdays is September 18th. On this day, Roman emperor Trajan got started on his path in 53 CE, as did lead actor of The Sopranos, James Gandolfini (1961), and controversial cycling legend, Lance Armstrong (1971).
September Dates Dominate
About 385,000 babies are born each day on average, but those arrivals aren’t evenly spread across the calendar. August usually claims the highest monthly totals, while several specific September dates dominate the top-ten list. On the opposite end, the rarest birthday is February 29, Leap Day, an obvious outcome once you remember it appears only once every four years. And although the year’s end is a popular time for conceptions, December 24 and 25, along with January 1, rank among the least common birthdays in a typical (non-leap) year, influenced by scheduling and holiday staffing. Whether you join the late-summer crowds or stand out among the sparse winter cohort, here’s wishing you a happy birthday whenever your special day arrives.
