Find out how popular the first name Alpheus has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Alpheus by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Alpheus is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 7 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Alpheus.

The history of the first name Alpheus

The name Alpheus has its origins in ancient Greek, derived from the word "alphos" which means "dull" or "pale". It is believed to have first appeared in the 8th century BC and was initially used to refer to the Alpheus River in the western Peloponnese region of Greece.

In Greek mythology, Alpheus was a river god who fell in love with the nymph Arethusa. Their tragic love story is recounted in Ovid's Metamorphoses, where Alpheus pursues Arethusa across the Mediterranean until she is transformed into a spring on the island of Ortygia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alpheus is found in the New Testament of the Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a Jewish man who was a member of the church council in Jerusalem around 60 AD.

Throughout history, the name Alpheus has been borne by several notable individuals. One such figure was Alpheus of Mytilene, a Greek grammarian and scholar who lived in the 2nd century AD and wrote commentaries on the works of Euripides.

In the 4th century AD, there was Alpheus of Adrianopolis, a Christian martyr who was executed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian for refusing to renounce his faith.

Another significant figure was Alpheus Hyatt, an American naturalist and paleontologist who lived from 1838 to 1902. He was a prominent figure in the field of evolutionary biology and made significant contributions to the study of fossil cephalopods.

In the literary world, Alpheus Felch was an American poet and author who lived from 1804 to 1896. He published several works of poetry and prose, including "The Literati of New England" and "The Poetical Works of Alpheus Felch".

Lastly, Alpheus W. Wilson was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Missouri from 1925 to 1927. He was born in 1864 and was also a successful lawyer and businessman.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Alpheus was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alpheus, please contact us.

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