NameCensus.
Rare

Ares

Of Greek origin, meaning the god of war and courage.

Name Census estimates that about 7,329 living Americans carry the first name Ares. It sits at #295 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. It is a predominantly male name (96.4% of registrations). The average person named Ares today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ares births was 2024 (1,158 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Ares. 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

  • Although Ares is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 263 girls registered with the name since 1880.
  • Ares is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 8 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.

People living today

7.3K

~ 1 in 46,767 Americans

Peak year

2024

1,158 babies that year

Average age

8

years old

2024 SSA rank

#295

Tracked since 1983

Gender

Gender distribution for Ares

Ares leans heavily male at 96.4% of total registrations, but 263 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.

96% male
Male7,120 (96.4%)Female263 (3.6%)

Ares as a male name

  • Ranked #295 in 2024
  • 1,136 male births in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (1,136 births)

Ares as a female name

  • Ranked #5,619 in 2024
  • 22 female births in 2024
  • Peak: 2019 (37 births)

Popularity

Ares: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Ares from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 3,710 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

MaleFemale
02905798691K19851990199520002005201020152020

Decades

Ares 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 Ares during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1980s505
1990s66066
2000s4490449
2010s3,0181353,153
2020s3,5821283,710

Geography

Where Ares' live

The SSA's state-level files cover 39 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Ares, while Rhode Island, Nebraska, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 157 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Ares

The name Ares has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and culture, tracing back to at least the 8th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word 'Arēs,' which means 'battle' or 'war.' Ares was the Greek god of war, one of the principal deities in the Greek pantheon.

The earliest known reference to the name Ares can be found in Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, written around the 8th century BC. In these ancient texts, Ares is portrayed as a fierce and violent god, often associated with bloodshed and destruction on the battlefield.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Ares was Ares of Miletus, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century BC. He was known for his work on the nature of the soul and was a contemporary of Socrates.

In the 4th century BC, another notable figure named Ares emerged: Ares of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with developing the first known sundial and contributing to the development of early astronomical instruments.

During the Hellenistic period, which lasted from the 4th century BC to the 1st century BC, the name Ares became more widely used among the Greek-speaking populations of the Mediterranean region.

In the 2nd century AD, Ares of Tralles was a prominent Greek philosopher and physician. He is known for his work on medical ethics and his contributions to the field of ophthalmology.

Another significant figure with the name Ares was Ares of Cyrene, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 4th century AD. He was a prominent figure in the Neoplatonic school of philosophy and made important contributions to the study of mathematics and logic.

Throughout the centuries, the name Ares has been used by various individuals across different cultures and regions, often associated with themes of strength, courage, and military prowess. While it may not be as popular today as it once was, the name remains a testament to the enduring influence of ancient Greek mythology and culture.

People

Ares + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Ares 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

Ares: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Ares?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7,329 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ares 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 46,767 US residents.

Is Ares a common name?

We classify Ares as "Rare". It ranks above 97.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7,383 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Ares most popular?

The single biggest year for Ares was 2024, when 1,158 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ares is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Ares a male name?

Yes, 96.4% of people registered as Ares 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.

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.

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