Epiphany
A feminine name derived from Greek meaning a divine manifestation or revelation.
Name Census estimates that about 764 living Americans carry the first name Epiphany. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Epiphany today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Epiphany births was 1988 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Epiphany. 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
764
~ 1 in 448,631 Americans
Peak year
1988
55 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,529
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Epiphany: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Epiphany 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 269 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
Epiphany 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 Epiphany during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Epiphanys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New York, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Epiphany, while Florida, California, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Epiphany
The given name Epiphany has its roots in the Greek language and is derived from the word "epiphaneia," which means "manifestation" or "appearance." The name is closely associated with the Christian feast day known as Epiphany, celebrated on January 6th, which commemorates the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah to the Gentiles, represented by the visit of the Magi (Three Wise Men) bearing gifts to the newborn child in Bethlehem.
The term "epiphaneia" was originally used in ancient Greek to describe the appearance or manifestation of a divine being or a significant event. It was adopted into the Christian tradition to refer to the moment when Jesus's divinity was revealed to the world. The feast of Epiphany has been celebrated in the Christian church since the 4th century AD.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Epiphany can be found in the writings of the 4th-century church father, Gregory of Nazianzus, who referred to the feast day as "the Epiphany of God to us." Over time, the name became more commonly used as a personal name, particularly among Christian communities.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Epiphany. One of the earliest was Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310-403 AD), a prominent scholar and bishop in the early Christian church, known for his writings against heresies. Another notable bearer of the name was Epiphanius the Wise (1310-1335), a renowned Serbian archbishop and writer.
In the 16th century, Epiphany Vest (c. 1520-1609) was an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for harboring and aiding Catholic priests. Epiphany Munro (c. 1800-1879) was a Scottish botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research on the flora of New South Wales, Australia.
More recently, Epiphany Salaam (1933-2010) was an American artist and educator known for her vibrant abstract paintings and her work in promoting diversity and inclusion in the arts.
While the name Epiphany has religious connotations and is associated with the Christian tradition, it has also been embraced by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures, drawn to its meaning of revelation, manifestation, and enlightenment.
People
Epiphany + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Epiphany as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Epiphany: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Epiphany?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 764 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Epiphany 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 448,631 US residents.
Is Epiphany a common name?
We classify Epiphany as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 782 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Epiphany most popular?
The single biggest year for Epiphany was 1988, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Epiphany is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Epiphany a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Epiphany 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.