Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2023

Nero

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,815 Trend ↑ Rising 37%

A male given name from Latin, more common in fiction than in real life.

Rank 2025
#4,815
among boys · ↓951 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
21
named Nero · -28% vs 2024
How common
1 in 81,337
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2023
39 babies
All-time total
526
#7,663 all-time among boys
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Nero popularity over time

526 babies have been named Nero since 1914, 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
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2023Boys

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 36 4 – #2,825
1920s 29 3 -19% #3,716
1930s 18 2 -38% #3,428
1940s 5 1 -72% #4,102
1950s 15 2 +200% #4,091
1960s 10 1 -33% #4,272
1970s 12 1 +20% #4,573
1980s – – – –
1990s – – – –
2000s 35 4 – #8,786
2010s 205 21 +486% #3,691
2020s (to 2025) 161 27 +31% #3,160

Where Nero 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 22 0.01 outside top 500
2027 22 0.01 outside top 500
2028 23 0.01 outside top 500
2029 23 0.01 outside top 500
2030 23 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Nero

Nero is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,815 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1914, 526 American babies have been named Nero. Its peak came in 2023, when 39 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Nero stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nero?

The median living Nero is about 8 years old; half are between 3 and 13. An estimated 400 people named Nero are alive in the United States today.

median 8 020406080100

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

Nero year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 21 #4,815
2024 29 #3,864
2023 39 #3,160
2022 25 #4,257
2021 33 #3,470
2020 14 #6,194
2019 30 #3,691
2018 23 #4,449
2017 26 #4,062
2016 18 #5,263
2015 22 #4,503
2014 18 #5,201
2013 21 #4,569
2012 16 #5,647
2011 19 #4,934
2010 12 #6,970
2009 9 #8,786
2008 – –
2007 7 #10,552
2006 7 #10,338
2005 6 #11,068
2004 6 #10,922
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 6 #4,573
1965 5 #4,272
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 6 #3,535
1930 – –
1925 5 #4,705
1920 7 #3,716
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Nero

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

  1. 1 Nero Nero Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68 37–68 · Antiquity
  2. 2 Nero Claudius Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus Roman general and politician (38–9 BC) -38–-9 · Antiquity
  3. 3 Nero Julius Caesar Nero Julius Caesar Heir to Roman emperor Tiberius (died AD 31) 6–31 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nero?

The median living Nero is about 8 years old. Half of all living Neros are between 3 and 13 years old.

How many people named Nero are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Nero are alive in the United States, based on 526 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nero mean?

A male given name from Latin, more common in fiction than in real life.

How popular is the name Nero in 2025?

Nero ranked #4,815 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nero?

526 babies have been named Nero in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nero most popular?

Nero peaked in 2023, when 39 newborns received the name.

Is Nero a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Nero rising or falling?

Nero is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nero become more popular?

Nero is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 23 boys named Nero 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 Nero?

Well-known people named Nero include Nero (politician), Nero Claudius Drusus (military personnel), Nero Julius Caesar (politician).

Names like Nero

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

Compare Nero with similar names → More names starting with N →