Montavius
A combination of Latin words meaning "mountain" and "life".
Name Census estimates that about 358 living Americans carry the first name Montavius. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Montavius today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Montavius births was 1994 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Montavius. 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
358
~ 1 in 957,414 Americans
Peak year
1994
22 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2022 SSA rank
#11,834
Tracked since 1980
Census
Montavius in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 241 people with the first name Montavius, which placed it at #34,040 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
#34,040
National first-name rank
People counted
241
241 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
96.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montavius
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Montavius is Black at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Montavius 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 Montavius at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.3% · 232
- Two or more races2.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
- White0.4% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 1
Popularity
Montavius: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Montavius from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 168 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Montavius 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 Montavius during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Montavius' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Montavius
The given name Montavius is a unique and relatively modern name that has its roots in various languages and cultures. It appears to be a combination of two distinct elements, the Latin word "mons" meaning mountain, and the name "Tavius," which has its origins in ancient Roman civilizations.
The first part, "mons," can be traced back to the Latin language, where it was commonly used to refer to mountains, hills, or elevated landforms. This element has been incorporated into various names and words throughout history, often symbolizing strength, stability, and grandeur.
The second part, "Tavius," is believed to be derived from the ancient Roman name "Tatius," which was the name of a legendary Sabine king who ruled alongside Romulus, the founder of Rome. Tatius was known for his diplomatic skills and his role in uniting the Romans and Sabines, two influential tribes in ancient Italy.
While there are no definitive historical records of the name Montavius being used in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is likely a more recent creation, combining these two elements to form a unique and distinctive name.
The earliest recorded examples of individuals bearing the name Montavius are relatively sparse, but here are five notable people who have carried this name throughout history:
1. Montavius Jones (born 1982), an American football player who played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for several teams, including the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Commanders.
2. Montavius Thorne (born 1986), an American basketball player who played professionally in various leagues, including the NBA G League and overseas in countries like Japan and Taiwan.
3. Montavius Wilson (born 1994), an American track and field athlete who specializes in the shot put and has represented the United States in international competitions.
4. Montavius Rogers (born 1988), an American entrepreneur and fashion designer known for his luxury streetwear brand, which has gained popularity among celebrities and influencers.
5. Montavius Harwell (born 1979), an American author and motivational speaker, best known for his book "Climbing Mountains: Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Success," which chronicles his journey from a challenging upbringing to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
While the name Montavius may not have a long and storied history like some ancient names, it has gained recognition in recent times, particularly in the United States, as a unique and distinctive name that combines elements from various cultures and languages.
People
Montavius + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Montavius 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
Montavius: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Montavius?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 358 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Montavius 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 957,414 US residents.
Is Montavius a common name?
We classify Montavius as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 366 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Montavius most popular?
The single biggest year for Montavius was 1994, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Montavius is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Montavius in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 241 people with the name Montavius, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #34,040 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 Montavius 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 Montavius?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Montavius appears almost entirely male. Of the 244 people counted with this name, 100.0% were male and only a very small share were female. 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 Montavius?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Montavius is Black at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Montavius most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Montavius in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (232 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 Montavius in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Montavius a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Montavius 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 Montavius still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Montavius 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 Montavius 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 many people are called Montavius?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.