Peony
Delicate, multi-petaled flower representing romance, bravery, and bashfulness.
Name Census estimates that about 103 living Americans carry the first name Peony. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Peony today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Peony births was 2020 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Peony. 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
103
~ 1 in 3,327,712 Americans
Peak year
2020
11 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,033
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Peony: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Peony from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 40 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
Peony 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 Peony during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Peony
The name Peony has its origins in ancient Greek, derived from the word "paionia," which referred to the peony flower. This flower was named after the Greek mythological figure Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. The peony was believed to have medicinal properties and was used in various remedies in ancient times.
The earliest recorded use of the name Peony dates back to the 1st century AD, when the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder mentioned it in his work "Naturalis Historia." He described the peony flower and its supposed healing properties, which likely contributed to its popularity as a name in later centuries.
One of the first notable individuals to bear the name Peony was Peony of Alexandria, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. She was persecuted for her faith during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius and is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In the Middle Ages, the name Peony gained popularity in parts of Europe, particularly in France and England. One notable bearer of the name was Peony of Amiens, a 12th-century French noblewoman who was known for her piety and charitable works.
During the Renaissance period, the name Peony was associated with the arts and literature. Peony Brinvilliers, born in 1630 in France, was a notorious figure who gained infamy as a serial poisoner. Despite her infamous reputation, her name reflects the cultural significance of the peony flower during that era.
In more recent history, the name Peony has been less common, but there are still notable individuals who have carried it. Peony Moss, an American actress born in 1916, had a career in theater and television during the mid-20th century.
Peony Herting, born in 1905 in Germany, was a botanist and plant breeder who made significant contributions to the study and cultivation of peonies. Her work helped popularize these flowers and influenced their use in gardens and landscapes around the world.
People
Peony + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Peony 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
Peony: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Peony?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 103 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Peony 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 3,327,712 US residents.
Is Peony a common name?
We classify Peony as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 105 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Peony most popular?
The single biggest year for Peony was 2020, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Peony is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Peony a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Peony 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.
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.