Menphis
A masculine name of Egyptian origin signifying "enduring and beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Menphis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Menphis today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Menphis births was 2002 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Menphis. 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 Menphis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2002
5 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2004 SSA rank
#12,581
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Menphis: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Menphis 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 Menphis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Menphis
The name Menphis is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, derived from the name of the ancient capital city of Memphis. The city's name itself is thought to be derived from the ancient Egyptian words "men-nefer," meaning "enduring and beautiful."
Memphis was one of the oldest and most important cities in ancient Egypt, serving as the capital during the Old Kingdom period (c. 2686–2181 BC). The city was a major center of trade, religion, and politics, and its name became synonymous with the grandeur and enduring legacy of Egyptian civilization.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Menphis can be found in hieroglyphic inscriptions and ancient Egyptian texts dating back to the Old Kingdom period. However, it is unclear whether the name was used as a personal name during that time or if it was solely associated with the city.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Menphis was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 6th century BC. He is mentioned in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who described him as a priest from the city of Memphis.
In the Middle Ages, the name Menphis appeared in various historical records and chronicles, often associated with individuals of Egyptian or Coptic descent. One notable figure was Menphis Ibn Khunayn, an Egyptian physician and philosopher who lived in the 9th century AD.
During the Renaissance period, the name Menphis gained popularity among European scholars and intellectuals who were fascinated by ancient Egyptian culture. One prominent figure was Menphis della Valle, an Italian traveler and writer who visited Egypt in the early 17th century and documented his observations.
In the 19th century, the name Menphis was adopted by several individuals with an interest in Egyptology or a connection to the city of Memphis. For example, Menphis Santilli was an Italian-Egyptian archaeologist and Egyptologist who contributed to the excavation and preservation of ancient Egyptian sites.
Other notable individuals with the name Menphis include Menphis Slim, an American blues musician and singer from the early 20th century, and Menphis Depay, a Dutch professional football player currently playing for Atlético Madrid and the Netherlands national team.
Overall, the name Menphis has a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the enduring legacy of one of the most important cities in ancient Egyptian civilization. While it may not be a common name today, it remains a symbol of the fascination and reverence for the ancient Egyptian world.
People
Menphis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Menphis 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
Menphis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Menphis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Menphis 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 Menphis a common name?
We classify Menphis 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, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Menphis most popular?
The single biggest year for Menphis was 2002, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Menphis is about 23 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 Menphis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Menphis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Menphis 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 Menphis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Menphis 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 Menphis 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 share the name Menphis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.