Rosario
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "rosary" or "garland of roses".
Name Census estimates that about 11,482 living Americans carry the first name Rosario. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 66.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Rosario today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rosario births was 1993 (218 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rosario. 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
- • Rosario started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
People living today
11K
~ 1 in 29,851 Americans
Peak year
1993
218 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,707
Tracked since 1896
Gender
Gender distribution for Rosario
Rosario is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 16,476 total registrations, 5,592 (33.9%) were male and 10,884 (66.1%) were female.
Rosario as a male name
- Ranked #5,001 in 2024
- 20 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1917 (140 births)
Rosario as a female name
- Ranked #2,707 in 2024
- 64 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1993 (175 births)
Popularity
Rosario: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rosario from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,902 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rosario 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 Rosario during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rosarios live
The SSA's state-level files cover 24 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Rosario, while Virginia, Ohio, Nevada recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 491 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rosario
The name Rosario has its origins in Latin, derived from the word "rosarium," which means "rose garden" or "garland of roses." It is a name deeply rooted in Christian religious tradition and symbolism.
The name gained widespread popularity during the Middle Ages in Europe, particularly in areas with strong Catholic influence, such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal. It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive name for churches or chapels adorned with rose decorations or dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is often associated with the rose symbolism.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Rosario can be found in the 13th century work "Legenda Aurea" (Golden Legend) by Jacobus de Voragine, a collection of hagiographies that recounts the lives of saints. The text mentions the use of rosaries, which were strings of beads used for counting prayers, particularly the repetition of Hail Marys.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rosario. One of the most famous was Saint Rosario Livatino, an Italian judge and martyr who was assassinated by the Sicilian Mafia in 1990 for his unwavering commitment to justice. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
Another prominent figure was Rosario Castellanos, a Mexican poet, novelist, and diplomat, born in 1925. She was a pioneering voice for indigenous rights and feminism in Mexico, and her works explored themes of identity, gender, and social injustice.
In the realm of music, Rosario Bourdon was a renowned Canadian operatic soprano who gained international acclaim in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was particularly known for her interpretations of French and Italian operas.
The name Rosario also holds significance in the history of education. Rosario Castellanos was a renowned Spanish educator and philosopher who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. She was a pioneer in advocating for the education of women and is considered one of the first feminist thinkers in Spain.
Lastly, Rosario Candela was an influential Italian-American architect who played a significant role in shaping the iconic skyline of New York City in the early 20th century. He designed many prestigious residential buildings in Manhattan, including several along Park Avenue and Central Park West.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rosario
People
Rosario + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rosario 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
Rosario: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rosario?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11,482 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rosario 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 29,851 US residents.
Is Rosario a common name?
We classify Rosario as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16,476 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rosario most popular?
The single biggest year for Rosario was 1993, when 218 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rosario is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rosario a female name?
Yes, 66.1% of people registered as Rosario 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.