Given name & surname · also Greek
Titus
“of the giants”·“a great defender”
Titus is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “of the giants” and “a great defender”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original GreekΤίτος
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “of the giants” and “a great defender”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Greek and Latin naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Titus appears in 2 Corinthians 2:13, Titus 1:4, Titus 1:5 and 1 other passage.
- 2 Corinthians 2:13
- Titus 1:4
- Titus 1:5
- Matthew 21:5
From biblical name research
Titus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 26,823
- 26,811 boys · 12 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 1,325 babies
- 2025
- 910
- #358 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 910 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 358 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 20.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,325 in 2015. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (82). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 18,502 as a first name in 2020; 15,137 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.
Titus’s family of names
Titus has a later derivative in Tito. Titus has a related form in Titan. In English usage, Titus has a conventional equivalent in the Portuguese form Tito.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Titus has relatives in 33 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
18 related names in 33 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 17
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Titus
- Titus WelliverAmerican actorborn 1962
- Titus BrambleEnglish former professional footballerborn 1981
- Titus BrandsmaDutch Carmelite friar, Catholic priest, professor of philosophy and saint (1881–1942)
- Titus O'NeilAmerican wrestler and football playerborn 1977
- Titus BuberníkSlovak footballer (1933–2022)
- Titus OatesEnglish perjurer (1649-1705)
- Titus BurckhardtSwiss philosopher, art historian, cultural anthropologist and traditionalist author (1908-1984)
- Titus van RijnChild of Dutch painter Rembrandt (1641-1668)
- Titus CorlățeanRomanian politician (born 1968)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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