Placido
Placido is a masculine name of Italian origin meaning "calm" or "peaceful".
Name Census estimates that about 626 living Americans carry the first name Placido. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Placido today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Placido births was 1923 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Placido. 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
626
~ 1 in 547,531 Americans
Peak year
1923
23 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,587
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Placido: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Placido from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 177 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Placido 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 Placido during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Placidos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, New Mexico recorded the most babies named Placido, while Massachusetts, New York, New Mexico recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Placido
The name Placido originates from the Latin language and can be traced back to ancient Rome. It is derived from the Latin word "placidus," which means "calm" or "peaceful." This name was particularly popular during the Roman Empire, where it was often given to children as a symbol of tranquility and serenity.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Placido can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Pliny the Elder, who lived from 23 to 79 AD. He mentions a person named Placidus who was a distinguished Roman scholar and philosopher. In the Christian tradition, there are records of several early saints named Placido, including Saint Placidus, who was a disciple of Saint Benedict and lived in the 6th century.
Throughout history, the name Placido has been associated with various notable figures. One of the most famous was Placido Rizzotto, an Italian labor activist and trade unionist who was murdered by the Sicilian Mafia in 1948 for his efforts to defend the rights of farm workers. Another prominent figure was Placido Domingo, the renowned Spanish opera singer and conductor, born in 1941, who has been celebrated for his incredible vocal range and versatility.
In the world of literature, Placido Polanco was a Cuban poet and writer who lived from 1909 to 1977 and was known for his lyrical works that explored themes of love, nature, and Cuban identity. Placido Zuluaga, born in 1964, is a Colombian painter and sculptor whose works have been exhibited in galleries around the world, capturing the vibrancy and cultural richness of his homeland.
Placido Mendoza Arjon, born in 1927, was a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Governor of the state of Tlaxcala and later as the Ambassador to the United Nations, where he played a significant role in promoting international cooperation and peace.
The name Placido has endured through the centuries, carrying with it a sense of calm and tranquility, and has been bestowed upon individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each leaving their unique mark on history.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Placido
People
Placido + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Placido 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
Placido: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Placido?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 626 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Placido 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 547,531 US residents.
Is Placido a common name?
We classify Placido as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,111 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Placido most popular?
The single biggest year for Placido was 1923, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Placido is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Placido a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Placido 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.