Rarity
A feminine name meaning something uncommon, precious, or exceptional.
Name Census estimates that about 107 living Americans carry the first name Rarity. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rarity today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rarity births was 2020 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rarity. 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
107
~ 1 in 3,203,312 Americans
Peak year
2020
13 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,071
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Rarity: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rarity from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 62 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rarity remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rarity 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 Rarity during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rarity
The name Rarity originates from the Latin word "raritas," which means "uncommonness" or "scarcity." It first appeared in the late 16th century, when it was used to describe something that was rare or unusual.
In the 17th century, the name Rarity began to be used as a given name, although it was still quite uncommon. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in 1642, when a woman named Rarity Smith was born in England.
Over the centuries, the name Rarity has remained quite rare, with only a handful of notable individuals bearing the name. One of the most famous was Rarity Jones (1782-1857), a Welsh poet and writer who was known for her vivid descriptions of the natural world.
Another notable bearer of the name was Rarity Brown (1867-1935), an American suffragette and activist who fought for women's rights and equality. She was a founding member of the National Woman's Party and played a key role in the campaign for the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which granted women the right to vote.
In the 20th century, the name Rarity gained some popularity in certain circles, particularly among those with an interest in the arts and literature. One example was Rarity Fielding (1920-1998), an English novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of identity and social class.
A more recent bearer of the name was Rarity Goldsmith (1945-2021), an Australian painter and sculptor who was known for her abstract and surrealist works. Her pieces are featured in galleries and museums around the world.
While the name Rarity has never been particularly common, it has a rich history and has been borne by a number of notable individuals over the centuries. Its meaning and association with uniqueness and scarcity have made it a name that stands out and is often chosen by those who value individuality and creativity.
People
Rarity + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rarity as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rarity: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rarity?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 107 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rarity 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 3,203,312 US residents.
Is Rarity a common name?
We classify Rarity as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 108 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rarity most popular?
The single biggest year for Rarity was 2020, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rarity is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rarity in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rarity a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rarity 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.
Is Rarity still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rarity in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rarity can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Rarity?
See how many people share the name Rarity on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.