Imperial
A given name derived from the Latin word meaning "emperor" or "supreme ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Imperial. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Imperial today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Imperial births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Imperial. 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 Imperial. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,075
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Imperial: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Imperial 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 Imperial 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Imperial
The name Imperial originates from the Latin word "imperialis," which means "of the emperor" or "imperial." This name has its roots in ancient Rome, where it was used to denote someone or something related to the Roman emperor or the imperial court.
During the height of the Roman Empire, the name Imperial was associated with power, authority, and grandeur. It was often used as a title or honorary designation for individuals who held high-ranking positions in the imperial administration or military.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Imperial can be found in ancient Roman texts and inscriptions, where it was used to describe certain buildings, monuments, or decrees that were commissioned or issued by the emperor himself.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Imperial. One such individual was Imperial Constantine (272-337 CE), also known as Constantine the Great, who was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity and played a pivotal role in the spread of the religion across the empire.
Another famous Imperial was Imperial Claudius (10 BCE-54 CE), who ruled as the fourth Roman emperor from 41 to 54 CE. He is credited with extending Roman rule to Britain and initiating several important public works projects in Rome.
In the 16th century, Imperial Ferdinand I (1503-1564) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 until his death. He is remembered for his efforts in consolidating the Hapsburg dynasty's control over Central Europe and for his role in the Counter-Reformation.
During the 19th century, Imperial Maximilian I (1832-1867) was a younger brother of the Austrian emperor Francis Joseph I. He briefly served as the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire from 1864 to 1867, before being executed by Mexican republican forces.
In more recent times, Imperial Haile Selassie (1892-1975) was the last emperor of Ethiopia, ruling from 1930 until his overthrow in 1974. He is revered as a messiah figure in the Rastafarian faith and is remembered for his efforts to modernize Ethiopia and his staunch opposition to Italian colonial rule.
People
Imperial + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Imperial as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Imperial: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Imperial?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Imperial 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 Imperial a common name?
We classify Imperial 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Imperial most popular?
The single biggest year for Imperial was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Imperial is about 4 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 Imperial in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Imperial a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Imperial 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 Imperial still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Imperial 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 Imperial 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 have the name Imperial?
Find out how many people have the name Imperial on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.