Phenix
Mythical bird rising from ashes, representing renewal and resurrection.
Name Census estimates that about 815 living Americans carry the first name Phenix. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Phenix today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Phenix births was 2023 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Phenix. 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
815
~ 1 in 420,557 Americans
Peak year
2023
55 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,511
Tracked since 1994
Gender
Gender distribution for Phenix
Phenix is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 822 total registrations, 479 (58.3%) were male and 343 (41.7%) were female.
Phenix as a male name
- Ranked #4,511 in 2024
- 23 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (27 births)
Phenix as a female name
- Ranked #5,242 in 2024
- 25 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (28 births)
Popularity
Phenix: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Phenix from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 353 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Phenix remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Phenix 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 Phenix during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Phenix' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Phenix
The name Phenix is derived from the Greek word "phoinix," which means "phoenix," a mythical bird associated with renewal and rebirth. It originated in ancient Greek mythology and culture, dating back to the 8th century BCE.
In Greek mythology, the phoenix was a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerated or was reborn. It obtained new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. The phoenix was a symbol of immortality, resurrection, and the sun.
One of the earliest recorded references to the phoenix can be found in the writings of ancient Greek poet Hesiod, who lived around 700 BCE. The phoenix was also mentioned by other ancient Greek writers, including Herodotus, Pliny the Elder, and Ovid.
The name Phenix gained popularity in Europe during the Renaissance period, particularly in France and England. It was often used to symbolize renewal, resurrection, or a fresh start.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Phenix is Phenix Durieux, a French writer and poet who lived from 1542 to 1616. Other notable historical figures with the name Phenix include:
1. Phenix Nileson (1537-1599), a Swedish explorer and navigator.
2. Phenix Scudamore (1608-1668), an English politician and member of Parliament.
3. Phenix Pett (1628-1701), an English shipbuilder and naval administrator.
4. Phenix Durand (1682-1744), a French architect and engineer.
5. Phenix Robespierre (1758-1794), a French lawyer and one of the most influential figures of the French Revolution.
While the name Phenix is not as common today as it was in the past, it continues to be used as a given name, particularly in certain parts of Europe and the Americas, often chosen for its symbolic meaning of rebirth and renewal.
People
Phenix + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Phenix 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
Phenix: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Phenix?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 815 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Phenix 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 420,557 US residents.
Is Phenix a common name?
We classify Phenix as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 822 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Phenix most popular?
The single biggest year for Phenix was 2023, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Phenix is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Phenix a male name?
Yes, 58.3% of people registered as Phenix 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.