Magic
Derived from the Greek term "magikos," suggesting supernatural or illusory abilities.
Name Census estimates that about 432 living Americans carry the first name Magic. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 84.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Magic today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Magic births was 2022 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Magic. 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
432
~ 1 in 793,413 Americans
Peak year
2022
31 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,264
Tracked since 1973
Census
Magic in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 412 people with the first name Magic, which placed it at #23,670 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#23,670
National first-name rank
People counted
412
412 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
41.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magic
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Magic is Black at 41.0%. The next largest groups are White (20.4%) and Hispanic (17.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Magic described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Magic at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American41.0% · 169
- White20.4% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino17.5% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.2% · 38
- Two or more races9.2% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 11
Gender
Gender distribution for Magic
Magic leans heavily male at 84.3% of total registrations, but 69 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Magic as a male name
- Ranked #4,264 in 2024
- 25 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (25 births)
Magic as a female name
- Ranked #11,841 in 2022
- 8 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2009 (8 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Magic on both sides of the split. Of the 410 people counted with this name, 275 were male (67.1%) and 135 were female (32.9%).
Popularity
Magic: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Magic from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 134 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
Magic 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 Magic during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Magics live
Origin
Meaning and history of Magic
The name Magic is an intriguing and unique choice that has its roots in the Middle Ages. It originated from the Latin word "magicus," which means "relating to magic or sorcery." This word, in turn, derived from the Greek word "magikos," meaning "magical."
During the medieval period, the term "magic" held a significant place in various cultures and belief systems. It was often associated with the occult, mysticism, and the supernatural. The name Magic may have been bestowed upon individuals who were believed to possess special powers or a connection to the mystic arts.
While there are no direct references to the name Magic in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that it was used informally or as a nickname for those with perceived magical abilities or an affinity for the mystical realm.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Magic can be traced back to the 14th century. A historical figure named Magic de Villeneuve (born around 1300) was a renowned French alchemist and philosopher who studied the principles of alchemy and the pursuit of transforming base metals into gold.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Magic. In the 16th century, Magic Parmigiano (1508-1592) was an Italian painter and artist known for his intricate and detailed works, which were often described as "magical" in their execution.
In the realm of literature, Magic Realism was a literary movement that gained prominence in the 20th century. One of its pioneers was the Colombian author Magic Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014), whose novels blended elements of reality and fantasy in a captivating manner.
In the world of sports, Magic Johnson (born 1959) is perhaps one of the most famous individuals with the name Magic. He was a legendary basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.
Another notable figure was Magic Benton (1910-1993), an American magician and illusionist who gained fame for his innovative magical performances and contributions to the art of magic.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Magic throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the unique legacy of this intriguing moniker.
People
Magic + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Magic as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Magic: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Magic?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 432 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Magic 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 793,413 US residents.
Is Magic a common name?
We classify Magic as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 439 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Magic most popular?
The single biggest year for Magic was 2022, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Magic is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Magic in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 412 people with the name Magic, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #23,670 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Magic in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Magic?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Magic on both sides of the split. Of the 410 people counted with this name, 275 were male (67.1%) and 135 were female (32.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Magic?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Magic is Black at 41.0%. The next largest groups are White (20.4%) and Hispanic (17.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Magic most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Magic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.0% (169 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Magic in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Magic a male name?
Yes, 84.3% of people registered as Magic 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 Magic still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Magic 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 Magic 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.
How common is the name Magic?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Magic at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.