Mecos
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "poppy" or "opium flower".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Mecos. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mecos today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mecos births was 1982 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mecos. 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 Mecos. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1982
6 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1985 SSA rank
#7,218
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Mecos: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mecos 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 Mecos during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mecos
The name Mecos has its origins rooted in ancient Mesopotamian culture, tracing back to the 3rd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Akkadian word "makasu," which means "to be strong" or "to endure." This name was initially associated with strength, resilience, and fortitude, qualities that were highly valued in the harsh environments of ancient Mesopotamia.
During the reign of the Akkadian Empire, which spanned from around 2350 BCE to 2150 BCE, the name Mecos began to appear in cuneiform inscriptions and clay tablets. These early records suggest that the name was initially reserved for warriors, soldiers, and those who exhibited exceptional physical prowess.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Mecos can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE. In this literary work, Mecos is described as a powerful warrior who accompanied Gilgamesh on his epic journey, highlighting the association between the name and martial valor.
As time progressed, the name Mecos transcended its initial military connotations and gained broader cultural significance. In the 2nd millennium BCE, during the height of the Babylonian Empire, the name was adopted by members of the ruling class and the intellectual elite, suggesting a shift toward associations with wisdom and intellectual prowess.
Notable historical figures who bore the name Mecos include:
1. Mecos of Babylon (c. 1700 BCE), a renowned scholar and astrologer who made significant contributions to the development of early astronomical calculations.
2. Mecos the Architect (c. 1300 BCE), a master builder responsible for the construction of several iconic temples and ziggurats in ancient Mesopotamia.
3. Mecos the Scribe (c. 800 BCE), a renowned calligrapher and keeper of records during the Neo-Assyrian Empire, celebrated for his exquisite penmanship and meticulous documentation.
4. Mecos the Physician (c. 500 BCE), a pioneering healer and medical practitioner who advanced the understanding of herbal remedies and surgical techniques in ancient Mesopotamia.
5. Mecos the Philosopher (c. 200 BCE), a influential thinker and teacher who made groundbreaking contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy during the Seleucid Empire.
Throughout its long history, the name Mecos has maintained a strong association with resilience, strength, and intellectual pursuits, reflecting the diverse cultural influences and rich tapestry of ancient Mesopotamian civilization.
People
Mecos + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mecos 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
Mecos: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mecos?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mecos 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Mecos a common name?
We classify Mecos as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mecos most popular?
The single biggest year for Mecos was 1982, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mecos is about 45 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 Mecos in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mecos a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mecos 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 Mecos still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mecos 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 Mecos 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 Mecos?
Find out how many Americans are named Mecos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.