Given name & surname
Phoenix
Phoenix is a unisex given name from Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
From Latin phoenīx, from Ancient Greek φοῖνῐξ.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Phoenix through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 40,635
- 24,571 boys · 16,064 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 2,650 babies
- 2025
- 1,594
- #329 for boys · #534 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 60% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,027 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 329 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 9.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 567 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (111). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 24,525 as a first name in 2020; 3,442 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Phoenix’s family of names
Phoenix has a related form in Phuong. Phoenix has a related form in Phoenyx.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 6
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Phoenix
Characters named Phoenix: Phoenix Wright (fictional defense attorney from the Ace Attorney series).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Phoenix, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Athens
“from the capital of Greece”
71% boys · 29% girls
Altair
“resembling a bird”
70% boys · 30% girls
Solaris
“of the sun”
50% boys · 50% girls
Ocean
“sea”
56% boys · 44% girls
Dallas
“from the valley meadow” · “from the dales; from the city in Texas”
74% boys · 26% girls
River
“from the river”
65% boys · 35% girls
Oracle
“one who provides divine messages”
41% boys · 59% girls
Armani
“one who is desired; a goal”
56% boys · 44% girls