Poppy
A feminine name referencing the bright red poppy flower.
Name Census estimates that about 8,304 living Americans carry the first name Poppy. It sits at #338 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Poppy today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Poppy births was 2023 (1,081 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Poppy. 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
- • Poppy is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 10 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
8.3K
~ 1 in 41,276 Americans
Peak year
2023
1,081 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2023 SSA rank
#338
Tracked since 1919
Gender
Gender distribution for Poppy
Out of the 8,482 babies given the name Poppy since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Poppy as a male name
- Ranked #13,657 in 2023
- 5 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (5 births)
Poppy as a female name
- Ranked #338 in 2024
- 928 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (1,076 births)
Popularity
Poppy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Poppy from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 4,431 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
Poppy 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 Poppy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Poppys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 45 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Poppy, while Rhode Island, Alaska, West Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 157 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Poppy
The name Poppy is derived from the flower of the same name, which is believed to have originated from the Latin word "papaver". The poppy flower has been associated with various cultures and civilizations throughout history, and its symbolism has played a significant role in the popularity of the name.
In ancient Greece, the poppy was closely linked to Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility. The flower was believed to represent sleep, peace, and resurrection, and was often used in rituals and ceremonies. It is possible that the name Poppy was first used during this time, although there are no definitive records.
During the Middle Ages, the poppy became a symbol of remembrance and was often associated with the military. The red poppy, in particular, gained significance after World War I, when it was adopted as a symbol to commemorate the fallen soldiers. This connection to the war may have contributed to the name's popularity in the early 20th century.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Poppy dates back to the 16th century. Poppy Gwynne (c. 1563 - c. 1634) was an English herbalist and midwife who gained recognition for her work in the field of medicine. Another notable figure was Poppy Cannon (1888 - 1973), an American home economist and author who played a significant role in popularizing the use of modern kitchen appliances.
In literature, the name Poppy has been used for various characters, including Poppy Upover in Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" (1864-1865) and Poppy Moore in P.G. Wodehouse's "The Inimitable Jeeves" (1923). Additionally, the character of Poppy in the children's book series "Trolls" has further contributed to the name's popularity in recent times.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Poppy. Poppy Shakespeare (1957 - present) is a British actress known for her roles in films like "Braveheart" and "The Princess Bride". Poppy King (1971 - present) is an Australian entrepreneur and the founder of the cosmetics brand "Poppy Cosmetics". Poppy Northcutt (1924 - 2010) was an American civil rights activist and the first woman to work as an engineer for NASA.
These are just a few examples of the historical and cultural significance of the name Poppy, which has been embraced across various regions and time periods, often drawing inspiration from the symbolism and beauty of the poppy flower itself.
People
Poppy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Poppy 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
Poppy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Poppy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8,304 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Poppy 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 41,276 US residents.
Is Poppy a common name?
We classify Poppy as "Rare". It ranks above 97.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8,482 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Poppy most popular?
The single biggest year for Poppy was 2023, when 1,081 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Poppy is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Poppy a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Poppy 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.