Olympus
Greek mythological mount of the principal deities.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Olympus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Olympus today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olympus births was 2023 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olympus. 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 Olympus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2023
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,871
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Olympus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Olympus 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 Olympus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Olympus
The name Olympus has its origins in ancient Greek mythology. It is derived from the name of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and the mythical home of the Olympian gods. In Greek mythology, Olympus was considered the dwelling place of the twelve principal gods of the ancient Greek world.
The earliest recorded use of the name Olympus can be traced back to ancient Greek texts and literary works, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, where Mount Olympus is frequently mentioned as the abode of the gods. These epic poems, written around the 8th century BC, are among the oldest surviving works of ancient Greek literature and have had a profound influence on Western civilization.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Olympus was Olympus of Tralles, a Greek mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 6th century AD. He is credited with the invention of the sundial and made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. Unfortunately, very little is known about his personal life or the exact dates of his birth and death.
Another notable figure named Olympus was Olympus of Alexandria, a Greek philosopher and alchemist who lived in the 5th century AD. He is best known for his work on alchemy and his efforts to transform base metals into gold. While his alchemical pursuits were ultimately unsuccessful, his writings contributed to the development of early chemistry and influenced the work of later alchemists.
In the 9th century AD, there was a Byzantine monk and scholar named Olympus the Confessor, who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is known for his steadfast defense of the use of icons in Christian worship and his opposition to the iconoclastic policies of the Byzantine Empire.
During the Renaissance period, Olympus Mons, a prominent mountain on the planet Mars, was named in honor of the ancient Greek concept of Mount Olympus. This naming convention reflects the enduring influence of Greek mythology on Western culture and the scientific understanding of the universe.
While the name Olympus has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and literature, it has been used throughout history by individuals from various cultures and backgrounds. The name's association with the mythical home of the gods has endowed it with a sense of grandeur and majesty, making it a unique and enduring choice for parents seeking a name with a rich historical and cultural significance.
People
Olympus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olympus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Olympus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olympus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olympus 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Olympus a common name?
We classify Olympus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olympus most popular?
The single biggest year for Olympus was 2023, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olympus is about 3 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 Olympus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olympus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olympus 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 Olympus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olympus 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 Olympus 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 Olympus as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Olympus, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.