Dunamis
A name of Greek origin meaning "power" or "strength".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Dunamis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dunamis today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dunamis births was 2023 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dunamis. 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 Dunamis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2023
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,192
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Dunamis: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dunamis 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 Dunamis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dunamis
The name Dunamis has its origins in Ancient Greek, derived from the word "dunamis," which translates to "power" or "force." This name carries a strong connotation of strength and vigor.
In Greek mythology, Dunamis was a personification of power, often depicted alongside other abstract concepts like Victory (Nike) and Force (Kratos). The name Dunamis appears in various ancient Greek texts, including philosophical works by Aristotle and writings by the early Christian theologians.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Dunamis was a 4th-century BCE Greek philosopher, Dunamis of Rhodes. He was a follower of the Cynic school of philosophy and is mentioned in several ancient sources, including the works of Diogenes Laertius.
In the 1st century CE, there was a Christian martyr named Dunamis who was executed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian for refusing to renounce his faith. His story is recorded in some early Christian writings, and he is revered as a saint in certain Christian traditions.
During the Byzantine Empire, the name Dunamis was occasionally used, although it was not as common as other Greek names. One notable figure was Dunamis Kekaumenos, a 12th-century Byzantine military commander and author who wrote a strategic treatise on warfare.
In the Renaissance era, the name Dunamis experienced a resurgence in popularity among scholars and intellectuals who were fascinated by ancient Greek culture. One such individual was Dunamis Chalcondyles, a 15th-century Greek scholar who taught Greek language and philosophy in Italy.
Another notable bearer of the name was Dunamis Metokhites, a 17th-century Greek Orthodox monk and scholar who played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of the Orthodox Church during the Ottoman period.
While the name Dunamis has remained relatively rare throughout history, it has occasionally been used by individuals who admired its powerful and evocative meaning, drawn from its Ancient Greek roots. The name continues to be a testament to the enduring influence of Greek culture and language.
People
Dunamis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dunamis 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
Dunamis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dunamis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dunamis 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Dunamis a common name?
We classify Dunamis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dunamis most popular?
The single biggest year for Dunamis was 2023, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dunamis is about 3 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 Dunamis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dunamis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dunamis 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 Dunamis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dunamis 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 Dunamis 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 common is the name Dunamis?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Dunamis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.