Purity
A virtue name meaning innocence, chasteness, or freedom from contamination.
Name Census estimates that about 347 living Americans carry the first name Purity. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Purity today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Purity births was 2024 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Purity. 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
347
~ 1 in 987,765 Americans
Peak year
2024
24 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,387
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Purity: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Purity 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 135 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Purity remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Purity 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 Purity during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Puritys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Purity, while Georgia, California, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Purity
The name Purity has its origins in the Latin language, stemming from the word "purus," which means clean, pure, or unmixed. It first emerged as a given name during the medieval period, particularly in Christian contexts, where it was used to convey a sense of moral and spiritual purity.
In the early centuries of Christianity, the concept of purity held great significance, as it symbolized the spiritual cleansing of the soul and the pursuit of a virtuous life. The name Purity became associated with this ideal, often bestowed upon individuals as a reminder of their commitment to living a life of righteousness and devotion to their faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Purity can be found in the annals of the Catholic Church, where it was borne by Saint Purity, a 5th-century Christian martyr from Clermont-Ferrand, France. Her unwavering devotion to her faith and her refusal to renounce Christianity, even in the face of persecution, earned her the epithet "Purity."
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Purity gained popularity among religious orders and monastic communities, where it was embraced as a symbol of the spiritual purity and chastity espoused by these groups. Purity was often given to nuns and other consecrated individuals, reflecting their commitment to a life of virtue and devotion.
In the literary realm, the name Purity appeared in various works, including John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost," where it was used to personify the concept of purity and innocence. Milton's portrayal of Purity as a virtuous and untainted character further cemented the name's association with these ideals.
Notable individuals who bore the name Purity throughout history include Purity Norton (1640-1732), one of the first female writers and poets in colonial America, known for her religious and moral writings. Another notable figure was Purity Pool (1798-1882), an English Quaker minister and activist who campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
In the realm of art, Purity was the name chosen by the English painter and illustrator Purity Maltwood (1866-1957), whose works often depicted scenes from literature and mythology, reflecting her fascination with symbolism and allegory.
While the name Purity has its roots in the Christian tradition, it has transcended religious boundaries and is now embraced by individuals of various backgrounds, drawn to its connotations of moral integrity, virtue, and innocence.
People
Purity + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Purity 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
Purity: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Purity?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 347 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Purity 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 987,765 US residents.
Is Purity a common name?
We classify Purity as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 350 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Purity most popular?
The single biggest year for Purity was 2024, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Purity is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Purity a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Purity 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.