boys' name ★ peaked 2018

Achilles

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,290 Trend ↓ Falling 25%

Borrowed from Latin Achillēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús).

Rank 2025
#1,290
among boys · ↓70 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
151
named Achilles · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,312
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2018
257 babies
All-time total
3,844
#2,159 all-time among boys
First recorded
1912
in Social Security records

Achilles popularity over time

3,844 babies have been named Achilles since 1912, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2018Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 43 4 – #1,886
1920s 78 8 +81% #2,022
1930s 23 2 -71% #2,101
1940s 5 1 -78% #3,462
1950s 5 1 0% #3,684
1960s 5 1 0% #4,138
1970s 29 3 +480% #3,446
1980s 29 3 0% #5,008
1990s 43 4 +48% #6,133
2000s 696 70 +1519% #1,091
2010s 1,834 183 +164% #857
2020s (to 2025) 1,054 176 -4% #1,051

Where Achilles is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 144 0.08 outside top 500
2027 138 0.08 outside top 500
2028 133 0.08 outside top 500
2029 129 0.08 outside top 500
2030 126 0.07 outside top 500

Where Achilles is most popular

Boys named Achilles per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.100 per 1,000. Strongest in Nevada, New Mexico, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Achilles born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Nevada 10 0.175 +76%
New Mexico 5 0.152 +52%
California 136 0.149 +49%
Florida 67 0.142 +42%
Arizona 23 0.141 +41%
New York 54 0.125 +25%
Texas 109 0.124 +24%
Pennsylvania 32 0.121 +21%
North Carolina 27 0.106 +6%
Colorado 11 0.085 -15%
Maryland 10 0.084 -16%
Virginia 13 0.069 -31%
Washington 10 0.061 -39%
Georgia 14 0.055 -45%
Illinois 14 0.055 -45%
Utah 5 0.052 -48%
New Jersey 10 0.050 -50%
Minnesota 6 0.049 -51%
Ohio 9 0.034 -66%
Indiana 5 0.031 -69%
Tennessee 5 0.028 -72%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Achilles

Achilles is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,290 in 2025 with 151 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1912, 3,844 American babies have been named Achilles. Its peak came in 2018, when 257 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Achilles stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Achilles?

The median living Achilles is about 9 years old; half are between 5 and 14. An estimated 3,700 people named Achilles are alive in the United States today.

median 9 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Achilles year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 151 #1,290
2024 165 #1,220
2023 161 #1,226
2022 189 #1,121
2021 196 #1,081
2020 192 #1,051
2019 208 #1,004
2018 257 #857
2017 234 #910
2016 227 #932
2015 214 #966
2014 171 #1,117
2013 142 #1,244
2012 148 #1,207
2011 123 #1,364
2010 110 #1,481
2009 100 #1,594
2008 128 #1,343
2007 111 #1,445
2006 161 #1,091
2005 133 #1,196
2004 32 #3,077
2003 6 #9,592
2002 7 #8,461
2001 8 #7,540
2000 10 #6,321
1995 5 #8,876
1990 – –
1985 5 #6,530
1980 5 #6,258
1975 8 #3,944
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 5 #3,684
1945 – –
1940 5 #3,462
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 5 #4,198
1920 8 #3,209
1915 10 #2,459
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Achilles

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Achilles Tatius 2nd-century Greek novelist 200–300 · Antiquity
  2. 2 Achilles Painter Achilles Painter Greek vase painter -470–-425 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Achilles, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Achilles?

The median living Achilles is about 9 years old. Half of all living Achilless are between 5 and 14 years old.

How many people named Achilles are alive today?

An estimated 3,700 people named Achilles are alive in the United States, based on 3,844 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Achilles mean?

Borrowed from Latin Achillēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús).

How popular is the name Achilles in 2025?

Achilles ranked #1,290 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 151 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Achilles?

3,844 babies have been named Achilles in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Achilles most popular?

Achilles peaked in 2018, when 257 newborns received the name.

Is Achilles a boy or girl name?

Achilles is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Achilles rising or falling?

Achilles has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Achilles become more popular?

Achilles is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 126 boys named Achilles in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Achilles?

Well-known people named Achilles include Achilles Tatius (writer), Achilles Painter (politician).

Names like Achilles

Names that sound and feel close to Achilles: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Achilles with similar names → More names starting with A →