Pax
A Latin name meaning "peace".
Name Census estimates that about 1,017 living Americans carry the first name Pax. It is a predominantly male name (94.7% of registrations). The average person named Pax today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pax births was 2016 (84 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pax. 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
- • Pax is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 9 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 337,025 Americans
Peak year
2016
84 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,976
Tracked since 1974
Gender
Gender distribution for Pax
Pax leans heavily male at 94.7% of total registrations, but 54 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Pax as a male name
- Ranked #1,976 in 2024
- 79 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (79 births)
Pax as a female name
- Ranked #17,002 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2016 (11 births)
Popularity
Pax: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pax from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 599 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Pax remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pax 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 Pax during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pax' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Pax, while Washington, North Carolina, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 42 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pax
The name Pax originated from the Latin word "pax" which means peace. It first appeared in ancient Rome during the Roman Empire era around the 1st century AD. Pax was a title given to the peace established by Roman emperors, particularly during the Pax Romana period from 27 BC to 180 AD.
The name Pax has its roots in the Latin expression "Pax Romana" which translates to "Roman Peace." This phrase referred to the long period of relative peace and stability experienced across the Roman Empire under rulers like Augustus and Marcus Aurelius. The name symbolized the idea of harmony, tranquility, and the absence of conflict.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Pax can be found in ancient Roman inscriptions and historical accounts. Certain Roman coins minted during the reign of emperor Augustus bore the image of the goddess Pax, personifying peace. These coins were often struck to commemorate significant military victories or the establishment of peace treaties.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Pax. One such individual was Pax Romana (born in 500 AD), a Roman philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on the concept of peace and its role in Christian teachings. Another notable bearer was Pax Dei (1040-1109), a French Benedictine monk and scholar known for his efforts in promoting the Peace and Truce of God movement during the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, Pax Dei Pacificus (1520-1592) was an Italian Franciscan friar and diplomat who played a crucial role in mediating peace negotiations between warring factions in Europe. A century later, Pax Christi (1625-1698) was a Dutch artist renowned for his depictions of peaceful landscapes and pastoral scenes.
More recently, Pax Romana Britannica (1810-1892) was a British historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of the Roman Empire, particularly the Pax Romana period. His works contributed significantly to the understanding of this era of relative peace and stability in the ancient world.
While the name Pax is not as commonly used today as it was in ancient times, it continues to carry the symbolic meaning of peace and harmony, reflecting the enduring human desire for a world free from conflict and strife.
People
Pax + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pax as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pax: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pax?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,017 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pax 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 337,025 US residents.
Is Pax a common name?
We classify Pax as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,025 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pax most popular?
The single biggest year for Pax was 2016, when 84 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pax is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pax a male name?
Yes, 94.7% of people registered as Pax 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.
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.