Ariston
A masculine Greek name meaning "the best" or "most excellent".
Name Census estimates that about 386 living Americans carry the first name Ariston. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ariston today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ariston births was 2014 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ariston. 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.
People living today
386
~ 1 in 887,965 Americans
Peak year
2014
34 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,240
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Ariston: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ariston from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 208 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ariston remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ariston 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 Ariston during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aristons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ariston
The name Ariston originates from the Greek language, and its roots can be traced back to ancient Greece. The name is derived from the Greek word "aristos," meaning "best" or "most excellent." It was a popular name among the ancient Greeks, who valued excellence and virtue.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ariston can be found in the works of ancient Greek philosophers and historians. Ariston of Chios was a Stoic philosopher who lived in the 3rd century BC. He was a student of Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, and is known for his contributions to the development of this philosophical school.
Another notable figure from ancient times who bore the name Ariston was Ariston of Pella, a Greek historian who lived in the 1st century BC. He wrote a universal history that covered events from the earliest times up to his own era, but unfortunately, his work has been lost to history.
In the Middle Ages, the name Ariston continued to be used, albeit less frequently. One notable bearer of the name was Ariston of Orestis, a Byzantine monk and theologian who lived in the 10th century AD. He was known for his writings on the nature of the soul and his defense of Orthodox Christian doctrine.
During the Renaissance period, the name Ariston gained popularity once again, particularly among humanist scholars who were interested in reviving the study of ancient Greek and Roman culture. One notable figure from this era was Ariston of Chios, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his work on the philosophy of Aristotle and his efforts to promote the study of ancient Greek literature.
In more recent times, the name Ariston has been less common, but there have been a few notable individuals who have borne it. Ariston Thavarez was a Filipino military officer and politician who lived in the early 20th century. He played a significant role in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule and later served as a member of the Philippine Senate.
Another notable figure was Ariston Illidge, a British artist and illustrator who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was known for his illustrations in books and magazines, as well as his paintings and drawings of landscapes and portraits.
Overall, the name Ariston has a rich history that spans across different cultures and time periods. Its roots in ancient Greek language and culture have given it a sense of timelessness and a connection to the ideals of excellence and virtue.
People
Ariston + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ariston 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
Ariston: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ariston?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 386 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ariston 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 887,965 US residents.
Is Ariston a common name?
We classify Ariston as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 389 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ariston most popular?
The single biggest year for Ariston was 2014, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ariston is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ariston a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ariston 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.