Congress
A name of Latin origin referring to a formal gathering or assembly.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Congress. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Congress today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Congress births was 1921 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Congress. 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 Congress. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1921
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1921 SSA rank
#4,468
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Congress: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Congress 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 Congress during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Congress
The name Congress is derived from the Latin word "congressus," which means "a meeting or assembly." It first appeared in the 1500s and was used to refer to a formal gathering or conference, particularly in a political or diplomatic context.
The earliest recorded use of Congress as a name dates back to the mid-17th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Congress Tyler, an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War. He was born in 1760 and died in 1813.
Another notable figure with the name Congress was Congress Jones, an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1835 to 1839. He was born in 1789 and died in 1840.
In the 19th century, Congress became a popular name among some African American families, likely as a reference to the legislative body of the United States. One notable bearer of this name was Congress Kwasi Jones, a prominent African American educator and activist who lived from 1854 to 1932.
In the early 20th century, Congress was also used as a name by some Native American tribes. For example, Congress Parker, a member of the Choctaw Nation, was born in 1905 and became a successful businessman and tribal leader.
Another interesting figure with this name was Congress Mubanga, a Zambian politician and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement in the 1960s. He was born in 1919 and died in 2001.
While Congress is an uncommon name, it has been used throughout history by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Its origins can be traced back to the Latin language, and its meaning is closely tied to the concept of a formal assembly or gathering, particularly in the political sphere.
People
Congress + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Congress as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Congress: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Congress?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Congress 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 - US residents.
Is Congress a common name?
We classify Congress as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Congress most popular?
The single biggest year for Congress was 1921, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Congress is about 0 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 Congress in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Congress a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Congress 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.
Is Congress still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Congress 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 Congress 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 have the name Congress?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.