Eryx
From Greek mythology, a masculine name meaning "the serpent god".
Name Census estimates that about 159 living Americans carry the first name Eryx. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Eryx today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eryx births was 2024 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eryx. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Eryx with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
159
~ 1 in 2,155,688 Americans
Peak year
2024
25 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,219
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Eryx: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eryx from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 80 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eryx 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 Eryx during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Eryx' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Eryx
The given name Eryx has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and literature. It is derived from the name of the eponymous hero Eryx, who was a son of Poseidon and Aphrodite, or alternatively, a son of Butes according to some sources. The name is believed to be linked to the Greek word "erykó," meaning "to hold back" or "to restrain."
Eryx was a legendary king of Sicily who ruled over the region around Mount Eryx, now known as Monte San Giuliano. According to the Aeneid, an epic poem by Virgil, Eryx was a skilled boxer and challenged Aeneas to a boxing match during his journey to Italy. The encounter resulted in the death of Eryx, and Aeneas subsequently founded the city of Eryx (present-day Erice) on the mountain that bore his name.
The first recorded mentions of the name Eryx can be found in Greek and Latin literature from the classical period. In addition to Virgil's Aeneid, the name is also referenced in the works of Ovid, Diodorus Siculus, and other ancient writers.
One of the earliest known individuals named Eryx was Eryx of Tralles, a Greek historian and philosopher who lived in the 3rd century BC. He wrote a historical work titled "On the Migrations of Nations," which is now lost.
In the 1st century AD, there was a Roman senator named Eryx who served during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. He is mentioned in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus.
During the Byzantine period, Eryx was the name of a prominent military leader and governor who served under the Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD. He played a significant role in the wars against the Ostrogoth kingdom in Italy.
In the medieval period, Eryx was the name of a 12th-century Italian scholar and translator who was influential in the transmission of Arabic and Greek philosophical texts to the Latin West.
Another notable figure named Eryx was a 16th-century Italian humanist and poet from Venice, known for his contributions to the development of the Venetian dialect of Italian literature.
While the name Eryx has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman cultures, it has been used sporadically throughout history in various parts of Europe, particularly in Italy, where it has maintained a certain degree of cultural significance due to its connection with the legendary Sicilian king.
People
Eryx + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eryx 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
Eryx: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eryx?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 159 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eryx 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 2,155,688 US residents.
Is Eryx a common name?
We classify Eryx as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 160 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eryx most popular?
The single biggest year for Eryx was 2024, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eryx 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 Eryx in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eryx a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eryx 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 Eryx still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eryx 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 Eryx 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 are named Eryx?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.