Bastion
A masculine French name meaning "fortification" or "bulwark".
Name Census estimates that about 280 living Americans carry the first name Bastion. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bastion today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bastion births was 2019 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bastion. 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
280
~ 1 in 1,224,123 Americans
Peak year
2019
33 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,893
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Bastion: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bastion from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 157 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bastion remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bastion 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 Bastion during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bastions live
Origin
Meaning and history of Bastion
The name Bastion has its origins in the Old French language, deriving from the word "bastir," which means "to build." This connection suggests that the name was initially associated with occupations related to construction or fortification.
In medieval times, a bastion referred to a projecting part of a fortification, typically a large, angular structure designed to provide defensive capabilities. The name likely became a surname for individuals involved in the construction or maintenance of these military structures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bastion appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property completed in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This entry suggests the name's usage in England during the Norman period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Bastion. One such example is Bastion de Marillac (1568-1632), a French lawyer and statesman who served as the Keeper of the Seals under Louis XIII. Another prominent figure was Bastion Bressieux (1585-1655), a French Jesuit priest and mathematician known for his contributions to the field of geometry.
In the realm of literature, Bastion Lepage (1612-1684) was a French poet and playwright who gained recognition for his tragedies and comedies during the 17th century. Similarly, Bastion Calmet (1672-1757), a French Benedictine monk and scholar, made significant contributions to the study of the Bible and ancient history.
During the 18th century, Bastion Buat-Nançay (1732-1787) was a French military officer and historian who authored works on ancient warfare and tactics. His contemporaries included Bastion Lacépède (1756-1825), a French naturalist and one of the earliest contributors to the study of herpetology.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who have carried the name Bastion throughout history, spanning fields such as law, religion, literature, military, and academia.
People
Bastion + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bastion as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bastion: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bastion?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 280 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bastion 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 1,224,123 US residents.
Is Bastion a common name?
We classify Bastion as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 282 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bastion most popular?
The single biggest year for Bastion was 2019, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bastion is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bastion a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bastion 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.