Cygnus
A name derived from the Latin word for the swan constellation.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Cygnus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cygnus today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cygnus births was 2017 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cygnus. 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 Cygnus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2017
5 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,679
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Cygnus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cygnus 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 Cygnus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cygnus
The name Cygnus originated from Latin and Ancient Greek, deriving from the word "kyknos" meaning "swan". It was initially used to refer to the constellation Cygnus, which depicts a swan in flight. This constellation has been recognized since ancient times and is mentioned in various works of classical literature, including Ovid's Metamorphoses.
In Greek mythology, Cygnus was the name given to several figures who were transformed into swans. One of the most well-known was Cycnus, the son of Poseidon and Calyce, who was turned into a swan after his death. Another Cygnus was a friend of Phaethon, who was also transformed into a swan and placed among the stars as the constellation.
The name Cygnus gained popularity in ancient Rome, where it was occasionally used as a personal name, likely inspired by the mythological figures and the celestial constellation. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Cygnus Bellovacus, a Gallic leader who fought against Julius Caesar in the Gallic Wars in the 1st century BC.
During the Middle Ages, the name Cygnus fell out of common usage but remained present in scholarly circles, particularly among astronomers and astrologers who studied the constellation. It wasn't until the Renaissance period that the name regained some popularity, especially among the educated and elite classes who valued classical references.
Notable individuals named Cygnus throughout history include:
1. Cygnus Bellovacus (c. 1st century BC), a Gallic leader mentioned by Julius Caesar in his writings.
2. Cygnus (fl. 5th century AD), a Roman grammarian and author of a treatise on rhetoric.
3. Cygnus Matutinus (c. 10th century), an Italian monk and scholar known for his work on astronomy.
4. Cygnus Thorpe (1576-1624), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
5. Cygnus Delamere (1687-1756), a French nobleman and patron of the arts, who hosted salons and supported many writers and artists of his time.
While the name Cygnus has never been widespread, it has maintained a niche presence throughout history, particularly among those with an interest in classical literature, mythology, and astronomy. Its connection to the swan constellation and its mythological associations have contributed to its enduring appeal as a unique and evocative name choice.
People
Cygnus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cygnus 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
Cygnus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cygnus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cygnus 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Cygnus a common name?
We classify Cygnus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Cygnus most popular?
The single biggest year for Cygnus was 2017, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cygnus is about 9 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 Cygnus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cygnus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cygnus 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 Cygnus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cygnus 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 Cygnus 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 Cygnus as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Cygnus, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.