Fotini
A feminine Greek name meaning "bright" or "luminous."
Name Census estimates that about 388 living Americans carry the first name Fotini. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fotini today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fotini births was 1984 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fotini. 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
388
~ 1 in 883,387 Americans
Peak year
1984
18 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,996
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Fotini: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fotini from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 118 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fotini 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 Fotini during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fotinis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Fotini
The name Fotini is derived from the Greek word "phos" meaning "light". It has its origins in Greek culture and language, dating back to ancient times. The feminine form of the name, Fotini, was originally spelled as Φωτεινή in the Greek alphabet.
Fotini was a popular name among early Christian communities in the Byzantine Empire. It is believed to have been associated with the concept of "enlightenment" and the idea of bringing light into the world. The name appears in several ancient Greek texts and early Christian writings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fotini is found in the apocryphal Acts of Photina, which tells the story of a Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well of Sychar and later became a disciple. This woman, known as Photina or Fotini, is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Fotini. One of the most famous was Fotini Tsampika (1872-1960), a Greek actress and singer who gained widespread popularity in the early 20th century. She was renowned for her performances in traditional Greek plays and her contributions to the preservation of Greek cultural heritage.
Another prominent figure was Fotini Despotopoulos (1902-1986), a Greek artist and sculptor known for her avant-garde works and her involvement in the modernist art movement in Greece. Her sculptures and installations were exhibited internationally and celebrated for their innovative approach to form and material.
In the field of literature, Fotini Tsallikoglou (1899-1970) was a prominent Greek author and poet. Her works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, and she was widely acclaimed for her lyrical and evocative writing style.
Fotini Panou (1915-1986) was a Greek actress who gained fame for her performances in classical Greek tragedies and comedies. She was celebrated for her ability to bring depth and nuance to her characters and was considered one of the greatest actresses of her time.
Additionally, Fotini Vaki (1927-2021) was a renowned Greek singer and actress. She was known for her powerful voice and her ability to convey the emotions and stories of traditional Greek folk songs. Her performances were instrumental in preserving and promoting Greek musical heritage.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Fotini, a name deeply rooted in Greek culture and language, with a rich history and associations with enlightenment and bringing light into the world.
People
Fotini + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fotini 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
Fotini: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fotini?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 388 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fotini 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 883,387 US residents.
Is Fotini a common name?
We classify Fotini as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 410 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fotini most popular?
The single biggest year for Fotini was 1984, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fotini is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fotini a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fotini 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.