Arceus
The mythical Pokémon deity, symbolic of power and creation.
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Arceus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arceus today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arceus births was 2022 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arceus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arceus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2022
7 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#9,902
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Arceus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Arceus by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Arceus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Arceus
The name Arceus is of relatively modern origin and is not derived from any particular language or culture. It is believed to have been coined by the creators of the popular Pokemon media franchise, likely inspired by the words "arcane" and "deus," which mean "mysterious" and "god" in Latin, respectively.
Arceus first appeared in the 2009 Pokemon video games Diamond and Pearl, where it was introduced as a powerful and mythical Pokemon that was said to have created the entire Pokemon universe. In the games, Arceus is depicted as a white equine-like creature with a grey underside and golden wheel-like formations around its body.
Since its introduction in the Pokemon franchise, Arceus has become a popular and recognizable character, appearing in various Pokemon media, including movies, TV shows, and trading card games. However, the name does not have any recorded historical references or appearances in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records prior to its use in Pokemon.
As the name is a relatively modern creation, there are no notable historical figures or individuals who were recorded with the name Arceus. The name's prominence and recognition are primarily limited to the Pokemon franchise and its associated media and merchandise.
It is important to note that while the name Arceus has gained significant recognition and popularity within the Pokemon fandom, it does not have a rich historical background or cultural significance beyond its association with the fictional Pokemon universe.
People
Arceus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arceus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Arceus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arceus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arceus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Arceus a common name?
We classify Arceus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arceus most popular?
The single biggest year for Arceus was 2022, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arceus is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Arceus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arceus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arceus in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Arceus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arceus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Arceus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Arceus?
Want to know how many people have the name Arceus? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.