Nyx
A feminine name from Greek mythology referring to the goddess of night.
Name Census estimates that about 574 living Americans carry the first name Nyx. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 80.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Nyx today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyx births was 2022 (109 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyx. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Nyx with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
574
~ 1 in 597,133 Americans
Peak year
2022
109 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,704
Tracked since 2008
Gender
Gender distribution for Nyx
Nyx leans heavily female at 80.8% of total registrations, but 111 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Nyx as a male name
- Ranked #4,144 in 2024
- 26 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (26 births)
Nyx as a female name
- Ranked #2,704 in 2024
- 64 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (84 births)
Popularity
Nyx: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nyx from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 405 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
Nyx 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 Nyx during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nyx' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Nyx, while Ohio, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nyx
Nyx is a name rooted in Greek mythology, originating from the ancient Greek word "νύξ" (nyx), meaning "night". This name personified the primordial goddess of the night, one of the primordial deities birthed from Chaos during the creation of the universe.
In Greek mythology, Nyx is often depicted as a winged goddess, draped in long, dark robes and adorned with a crown of poppies. She is the mother of various deities, including Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), and the three Fates who controlled the destiny of mortals. Her counterpart was Hemera, the personification of day.
The earliest recorded references to the name Nyx can be found in various ancient Greek texts, including the works of Hesiod, Homer, and other classical authors. In Hesiod's Theogony, Nyx is described as one of the first beings to emerge from Chaos, along with other primordial entities like Gaia (Earth) and Erebus (Darkness).
Throughout history, the name Nyx has been borne by several notable individuals, albeit infrequently. One of the earliest recorded instances is Nyx of Miletus, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 5th century BCE. Another notable figure was Nyx of Rhamnus, a priestess of the goddess Nemesis in ancient Greece.
In the realm of literature, the name Nyx has been used for various fictional characters. One example is Nyx, the personification of Night in John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost" (1667). Additionally, Nyx is the name of a character in the popular young adult fantasy series "The House of Night" by P.C. and Kristin Cast.
Other notable individuals bearing the name Nyx include Nyx Jayden, an American model and social media influencer born in 1989, and Nyx Cahill, a Canadian dancer and choreographer born in 1987. Nyx Martinez, a Cuban-American actress and singer born in 1970, is another individual with this unique name.
While the name Nyx is not widely popular in modern times, it continues to captivate with its rich mythological heritage and evocative imagery, symbolizing the mysterious and alluring presence of the night.
People
Nyx + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nyx as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nyx: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nyx?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 574 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyx 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 597,133 US residents.
Is Nyx a common name?
We classify Nyx as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 578 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nyx most popular?
The single biggest year for Nyx was 2022, when 109 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyx is about 6 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 Nyx in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nyx a female name?
Yes, 80.8% of people registered as Nyx in the SSA data are female. 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 Nyx still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nyx 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 Nyx 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 Nyx?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Nyx on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.