Beautiful
A feminine name derived from a word meaning aesthetically pleasing or physically attractive.
Name Census estimates that about 1,077 living Americans carry the first name Beautiful. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Beautiful today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Beautiful births was 2008 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Beautiful. 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
- • Beautiful is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 318,249 Americans
Peak year
2008
67 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,887
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Beautiful: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Beautiful 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 493 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Beautiful remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Beautiful 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 Beautiful during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Beautifuls live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Beautiful, while South Carolina, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Beautiful
The given name Beautiful has its origins in the English language, derived from the Old English word "beautiful," which was a compound word formed from the roots "beau" (meaning fair or lovely) and "ful" (meaning full or abundant). This name dates back to the 11th century and was initially used as an adjective to describe someone or something that was physically attractive or pleasing to the eye.
As the English language evolved, the word "beautiful" became more commonly used as a name, particularly during the Renaissance period when there was a renewed appreciation for beauty and aesthetics. During this time, the name Beautiful was often given to children as a way of expressing the parents' hope for their child to grow up to be physically attractive and embodying the ideals of beauty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Beautiful can be found in the works of the English poet John Donne, who wrote a poem in the early 17th century titled "The Beautiful Mistress." In this poem, Donne celebrated the beauty of his lover, whom he referred to as Beautiful.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Beautiful. One of the most famous was Beautiful Reed (1597-1654), an English actress and courtesan who was renowned for her beauty and charm during the Jacobean and Caroline eras.
Another prominent figure with the name Beautiful was Beautiful Joseph (1734-1806), a Native American leader of the Nez Perce tribe, who was known for her wisdom, diplomacy, and advocacy for her people's rights.
In the 19th century, Beautiful Dreamer (1838-1911) was the pen name of American writer and poet Stephen Foster, who composed the popular song of the same name, "Beautiful Dreamer," which became a beloved American folk standard.
In the 20th century, Beautiful Outkast (1920-1998) was the stage name of an American actress and dancer who rose to fame during the Harlem Renaissance and was celebrated for her beauty and talent.
Finally, Beautiful Mandela (1944-2013) was a South African activist and politician who played a significant role in the anti-apartheid movement and was renowned for her beauty, grace, and unwavering commitment to social justice.
People
Beautiful + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Beautiful 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
Beautiful: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Beautiful?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,077 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Beautiful 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 318,249 US residents.
Is Beautiful a common name?
We classify Beautiful as "Rare". It ranks above 90.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,087 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Beautiful most popular?
The single biggest year for Beautiful was 2008, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Beautiful is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Beautiful a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Beautiful 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.
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.