Athanasios
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "immortal" or "deathless".
Name Census estimates that about 1,210 living Americans carry the first name Athanasios. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Athanasios today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Athanasios births was 1973 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Athanasios. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 283,268 Americans
Peak year
1973
39 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,429
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Athanasios: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Athanasios from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 285 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Athanasios remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Athanasios 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 Athanasios during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Athanasios' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New York, Illinois, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Athanasios, while California, New Jersey, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 57 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Athanasios
The given name Athanasios originates from the Greek language and culture, with its earliest roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "athanatos," which means "immortal" or "deathless." This name carries profound significance, often associated with the concept of eternal life or the immortality of the soul.
The name Athanasios gained prominence during the 4th century AD, when it was borne by the influential theologian and church father, Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373). Athanasius was a staunch defender of the Nicene Creed and played a pivotal role in shaping the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. His unwavering stance against the Arian heresy earned him the epithet "Athanasius Contra Mundum" (Athanasius Against the World).
In the Byzantine Empire, the name Athanasios was widely used, and several notable figures bore this name. One such individual was Athanasius I of Constantinople (c. 1230-1310), who served as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1289 to 1293 and later from 1303 to 1309. He played a crucial role in reconciling the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches during his tenure.
Another significant figure in history who carried the name Athanasios was Athanasius III of Constantinople (1598-1654), who served as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1634 to 1635. He is remembered for his efforts to reform the Greek Orthodox Church and his opposition to the Union of Brest, which sought to unite the Orthodox Church with the Roman Catholic Church.
In the realm of literature, Athanasios Diakos (1788-1827) was a prominent Greek military leader and revolutionary figure during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. He is celebrated as a national hero in Greece for his bravery and sacrifices in the pursuit of Greek independence.
Lastly, Athanasios Parios (1722-1813) was a renowned Greek scholar, mathematician, and physicist. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and physics, and his works were highly influential in the intellectual circles of his time.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Athanasios, a name deeply rooted in Greek culture and tradition, carrying connotations of immortality and eternal life.
People
Athanasios + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Athanasios 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
Athanasios: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Athanasios?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,210 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Athanasios 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 283,268 US residents.
Is Athanasios a common name?
We classify Athanasios as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,260 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Athanasios most popular?
The single biggest year for Athanasios was 1973, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Athanasios is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Athanasios a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Athanasios 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.