Arcus
Relating to an arc or bow, from the Latin word arcus.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Arcus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arcus today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arcus births was 1983 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arcus. 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 Arcus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1983
6 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2018 SSA rank
#12,295
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Arcus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arcus from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arcus 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 Arcus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arcus
The name Arcus is derived from the Latin word "arcus," which means "bow" or "arc." It is believed to have originated in ancient Rome during the classical era.
In ancient Roman mythology, the god Apollo was often depicted carrying a bow, and the bow was a symbol of strength, power, and precision. As such, the name Arcus was likely given to male children as a sign of admiration and a wish for them to possess similar qualities.
The earliest recorded use of the name Arcus can be traced back to the 1st century AD, when it was mentioned in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus. He referenced an individual named Arcus Flavius, who was a soldier in the Roman army during the reign of Emperor Nero.
In the 3rd century AD, there was a notable Roman scholar and philosopher named Arcus Claudius, who wrote extensively on the subjects of ethics and virtue. His works were widely studied and influential during his time.
During the Middle Ages, the name Arcus was less common, but it did appear in some historical records. One notable individual was Arcus de Montfort, a French knight who fought in the Crusades in the 12th century.
In the Renaissance era, the name regained some popularity, particularly in Italy. One of the most famous individuals with the name Arcus was Arcus Palladio, an influential Italian architect who lived from 1508 to 1580. His designs and theories had a significant impact on the development of Western architecture.
Another notable figure from the Renaissance period was Arcus Valerius, an Italian painter who lived from 1542 to 1597. He was known for his skilled portraiture and was a member of the prestigious Accademia di San Luca in Rome.
Over the centuries, the name Arcus has been used sporadically across various cultures and regions, but it has remained relatively uncommon. Its connection to the Latin word for "bow" and its historical associations with strength, power, and precision have persisted throughout its usage.
People
Arcus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arcus 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
Arcus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arcus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arcus 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Arcus a common name?
We classify Arcus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arcus most popular?
The single biggest year for Arcus was 1983, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arcus is about 26 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 Arcus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arcus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arcus 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 Arcus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arcus 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 Arcus 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 Arcus?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.