Rix
A feminine name of English origin meaning "powerful ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Rix. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rix today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rix births was 1924 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rix. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rix. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1924
5 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2004 SSA rank
#12,834
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Rix: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rix from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 5 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
Rix 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 Rix 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 Rix
The name Rix has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically Old English and Old Norse. It is believed to have derived from the word "ric," which means "ruler" or "powerful." This name likely emerged during the medieval period, when Germanic tribes were prominent in Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rix can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Ric" and was likely used as a shortened form of longer names like Richard or Richart.
In the 12th century, the name Rix appears in the Icelandic Sagas, which are historical narratives about the Norse people. One notable figure was Rix Hrodgeirsson, a Viking chieftain who lived in the late 9th century and is mentioned in the Saga of Harald Fairhair.
During the Renaissance, the name Rix gained some prominence in Europe. Rix Gwerder (1560-1619) was a Swiss painter and engraver known for his religious works. Another notable figure was Rix Oldenbarnevelt (1547-1619), a Dutch statesman and leading figure in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule.
In the 17th century, Rix Martin (1570-1645) was an English clergyman and theologian who wrote extensively on religious topics. He served as the Dean of Arden from 1619 until his death.
Moving to the 18th century, Rix Aylmer (1718-1786) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Gibraltar from 1776 to 1786. He played a key role in defending the strategically important territory during the American Revolutionary War.
While the name Rix may have fallen out of widespread use in more recent times, it remains a unique and historically significant name with roots in the Germanic languages and medieval Europe.
People
Rix + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rix 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
Rix: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rix?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rix 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Rix a common name?
We classify Rix as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rix most popular?
The single biggest year for Rix was 1924, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rix is about 24 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 Rix in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rix a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rix 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.
Is Rix still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rix 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 Rix 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 people are called Rix?
You can see how many Americans are named Rix on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.