Phabian
A name derived from the Latin name Fabianus which means "bean grower".
Name Census estimates that about 53 living Americans carry the first name Phabian. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Phabian today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Phabian births was 2003 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Phabian. 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 Phabian. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
53
~ 1 in 6,467,063 Americans
Peak year
2003
9 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,624
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Phabian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Phabian from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 27 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Phabian remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Phabian 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 Phabian 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 Phabian
The given name Phabian has its origins rooted in ancient Rome and the Latin language. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "fabianus," which means "bean grower" or "bean farmer." This occupation-based moniker suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the cultivation of beans or other legumes during the time of the Roman Empire.
In the early days of Christianity, the name gained prominence with the existence of Pope Fabian, who reigned as the Bishop of Rome from 236 to 250 AD. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and is remembered for his leadership during a period of persecution and for establishing several Church policies and traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Phabian can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Eusebius, who documented the life and papacy of Pope Fabian in his work "Ecclesiastical History." This historical record provides valuable insights into the significance of the name during the early Christian era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Phabian. In the 4th century, Saint Phabian of Meaux was a bishop in the French city of Meaux and is celebrated for his efforts in spreading Christianity in the region. Another prominent figure was Phabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, a Russian naval officer and explorer who lived from 1778 to 1852 and is known for his Antarctic expeditions.
In the literary realm, Phabian Fitz James O'Brien was an Irish-American writer and poet who lived from 1828 to 1862. He is best known for his short stories, including the widely acclaimed "The Diamond Lens" and "What Was It? A Mystery."
Another notable bearer of the name was Phabian Hickman, an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century, active from 1882 to 1899.
The name Phabian has also been associated with individuals from various walks of life, such as Phabian Udoh, a Nigerian footballer who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s, and Phabian Monggaard, a Danish artist known for his work in the early 20th century.
While the name Phabian may not be as commonly used today as it once was, its rich history and connections to influential figures from the past continue to imbue it with a sense of distinction and cultural significance.
People
Phabian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Phabian 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
Phabian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Phabian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 53 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Phabian 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 6,467,063 US residents.
Is Phabian a common name?
We classify Phabian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 55.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 54 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Phabian most popular?
The single biggest year for Phabian was 2003, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Phabian is about 21 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 Phabian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Phabian a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Phabian 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 Phabian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Phabian 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 Phabian 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 are named Phabian?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Phabian at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.