Fidelio
A name derived from Latin meaning "faithful" or "loyal".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Fidelio. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fidelio today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fidelio births was 1955 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fidelio. 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 Fidelio. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1955
6 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1955 SSA rank
#3,641
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Fidelio: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Fidelio 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 Fidelio during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Geography
Where Fidelios live
Origin
Meaning and history of Fidelio
The name Fidelio is derived from the Latin word 'fidelis', which means faithful or loyal. It is a masculine name that gained popularity during the Renaissance period, particularly in Italy and other parts of Europe.
In the 16th century, the name Fidelio was often used as a nickname or diminutive form of the more common Italian name Fidelino, which itself was a derivative of the Latin name Fidelis. The name was favored among the upper classes and wealthy families who valued loyalty and fidelity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fidelio can be found in the works of Italian poet and playwright Ludovico Ariosto, who lived from 1474 to 1533. In his famous epic poem "Orlando Furioso," Ariosto included a character named Fidelio, a faithful and loyal knight.
Fidelio also gained recognition in the world of classical music with Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera, "Fidelio," which premiered in 1805. The opera tells the story of a woman named Leonore who disguises herself as a man named Fidelio to rescue her husband from prison.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Fidelio, including:
1. Fidelio Finzi-Contini (1918-1943), an Italian Jew who was a member of the wealthy Finzi-Contini family and a victim of the Holocaust.
2. Fidelio Ponce de León (1828-1912), a Puerto Rican writer, journalist, and politician who played a significant role in the island's struggle for independence from Spanish rule.
3. Fidelio Krause (1876-1964), a German-American painter and illustrator known for his works depicting Native American life and culture.
4. Fidelio García Berlanga (1923-2010), a Spanish filmmaker and screenwriter who is considered one of the most influential directors of Spanish cinema.
5. Fidelio Irizarry (born 1982), a Puerto Rican actor and model best known for his roles in telenovelas and Spanish-language television shows.
The name Fidelio has maintained a somewhat niche popularity throughout the centuries, particularly in Italian and Hispanic cultures, where it has been valued for its association with loyalty, faithfulness, and devotion.
People
Fidelio + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fidelio as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Fidelio: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fidelio?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fidelio 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 Fidelio a common name?
We classify Fidelio 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, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fidelio most popular?
The single biggest year for Fidelio was 1955, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fidelio is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fidelio a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fidelio 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.