Atherine
Feminine name of Greek origin meaning "without borders or limitations".
Name Census estimates that about 35 living Americans carry the first name Atherine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Atherine today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Atherine births was 1983 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Atherine. 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 Atherine. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
35
~ 1 in 9,792,981 Americans
Peak year
1983
7 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1988 SSA rank
#10,478
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Atherine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Atherine from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 37 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
Atherine 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 Atherine 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 Atherine
The name Atherine is a relatively uncommon and ancient name with roots tracing back to ancient Greece. It is believed to have originated from the Greek word "atherina," which means "a small fish." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone with a slender and agile physique, resembling a small fish.
In early Greek literature, the name is mentioned in various works, including the writings of the renowned historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He referenced an individual named Atherine who was a skilled navigator and sailor, lending further credence to the maritime connotations of the name.
During the Byzantine era, between the 4th and 15th centuries AD, the name Atherine gained some prominence among the upper classes of Greek society. One notable figure bearing this name was Atherine of Constantinople, a noblewoman and philanthropist who lived in the 11th century. She was renowned for her charitable works and her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the Middle Ages, the name Atherine found its way into various European cultures, albeit with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In Italy, for instance, the name was adapted as "Aterina," and there are records of an Italian nun named Aterina di Montefeltro, who lived in the 13th century and was known for her piety and devotion to charitable causes.
Another prominent figure associated with the name Atherine was Atherine of Aragon, a 15th-century Spanish princess and duchess. She was born in 1493 and played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of her time, serving as a patron of the arts and a diplomat.
In more recent history, the name Atherine has been relatively rare, but a few notable individuals have carried it. One such person was Atherine Duval, a French painter and sculptor who lived in the 19th century. She gained recognition for her portraiture work and her contributions to the Parisian art scene.
Despite its rarity, the name Atherine has a rich and diverse history, spanning various cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, and it has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, artists, and religious figures.
People
Atherine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Atherine 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
Atherine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Atherine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 35 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Atherine 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 9,792,981 US residents.
Is Atherine a common name?
We classify Atherine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 48.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 42 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Atherine most popular?
The single biggest year for Atherine was 1983, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Atherine is about 41 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 Atherine in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Atherine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Atherine in the SSA data are female. 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 Atherine still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Atherine 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 Atherine 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 share the name Atherine?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.