Posey
A diminutive form of the name Josephine, meaning "She will add".
Name Census estimates that about 598 living Americans carry the first name Posey. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Posey today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Posey births was 2022 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Posey. 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
- • Posey started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
People living today
598
~ 1 in 573,168 Americans
Peak year
2022
54 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
1956 SSA rank
#3,140
Tracked since 1888
Gender
Gender distribution for Posey
Posey is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 946 total registrations, 396 (41.9%) were male and 550 (58.1%) were female.
Posey as a male name
- Ranked #3,140 in 1956
- 8 male births in 1956
- Peak: 1916 (17 births)
Posey as a female name
- Ranked #3,549 in 2024
- 44 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (54 births)
Popularity
Posey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Posey from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 265 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
Posey 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 Posey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Poseys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Virginia, Tennessee recorded the most babies named Posey, while Washington, Indiana, Utah recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Posey
The name Posey is thought to have originated from the Old French word "posie," meaning a short verse or motto. This term was derived from the Latin word "poesis," which means poetry or poetic composition. The name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone skilled in composing or reciting poetry.
In the Middle Ages, the name Posey gained popularity among the nobility and elite classes in Europe, particularly in England and France. It was often associated with individuals who had a penchant for literature, arts, and cultural pursuits. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 13th century, when it was found in various literary works and historical records.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Posey was William Posey, an English poet and scholar who lived in the 14th century. He is known for his contributions to the development of early English literature and his involvement in the literary circles of his time.
In the 16th century, the name Posey gained further recognition with the birth of John Posey, an English composer and musician. He was renowned for his compositions for the lute and his contributions to the development of English Renaissance music.
Another prominent figure associated with the name Posey was Thomas Posey, an American politician and military officer who lived from 1750 to 1818. He served as the Governor of the Indiana Territory and played a significant role in the early development of the American Midwest.
During the 19th century, the name Posey was borne by several notable individuals, including Mary Posey, an American educator and women's rights advocate (1809-1894), and John Posey, a Confederate general during the American Civil War (1825-1863).
In more recent times, the name Posey has been carried by individuals such as Parker Posey, an American actress known for her roles in independent films (born in 1968), and Buster Posey, a professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants (born in 1987).
While the name Posey has its roots in Old French and Latin, it has transcended its linguistic origins and gained a unique cultural significance throughout history, associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds who have made notable contributions in various fields, including literature, music, politics, and the arts.
People
Posey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Posey 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
Posey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Posey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 598 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Posey 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 573,168 US residents.
Is Posey a common name?
We classify Posey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 946 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Posey most popular?
The single biggest year for Posey was 2022, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Posey is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Posey a female name?
Yes, 58.1% of people registered as Posey 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.