Denarius
An ancient Roman silver coin representing daily wage or payment.
Name Census estimates that about 350 living Americans carry the first name Denarius. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Denarius today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Denarius births was 1995 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Denarius. 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
350
~ 1 in 979,298 Americans
Peak year
1995
20 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,797
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Denarius: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Denarius from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 134 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Denarius 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 Denarius during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Denarius' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Denarius
The given name Denarius has its origins in Ancient Rome, derived from the Latin word "denarius," which was a small silver coin used as a form of currency during the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire periods. This connection to currency and monetary value suggests that the name may have been associated with wealth, prosperity, or financial success in its earliest uses.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Denarius can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder, who lived from 23 to 79 AD. He mentioned the denarius coin in his works, describing its weight, composition, and value in relation to other Roman currencies of the time.
During the Roman era, the name Denarius was likely used as a personal name, although specific individuals with this name are not well-documented in historical records. It is possible that the name was given to individuals born into wealthy or influential families, as a symbolic connection to the valued currency.
As the Roman Empire expanded and its influence spread across Europe and the Mediterranean region, the name Denarius may have been adopted or adapted by various cultures and languages. In some cases, the name may have evolved into different spellings or variations over time.
One notable individual named Denarius was an early Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. According to historical accounts, Denarius was a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and was subsequently executed for his beliefs during the persecution of Christians under the reign of Emperor Decius in the mid-3rd century.
Another individual with the name Denarius was a Roman senator and politician who lived in the 1st century BC. He was a contemporary of Julius Caesar and is mentioned in some historical texts from that period, although details about his life and achievements are scarce.
In the Middle Ages, the name Denarius may have been used in certain regions of Europe, particularly those with connections to the Roman Empire or Latin-based languages. However, specific examples of individuals with this name during this time are not widely documented.
During the Renaissance and early modern periods, the name Denarius seems to have fallen out of common use, likely due to the decline of Latin as a spoken language and the rise of more vernacular names in various European cultures.
Despite its ancient Roman origins and limited historical references, the name Denarius remains a unique and intriguing choice, reflecting a connection to the rich cultural and monetary legacy of the Roman Empire.
People
Denarius + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Denarius as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Denarius: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Denarius?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 350 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Denarius 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 979,298 US residents.
Is Denarius a common name?
We classify Denarius as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 357 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Denarius most popular?
The single biggest year for Denarius was 1995, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Denarius is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Denarius a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Denarius 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.