Severin
A masculine name of Latin origin meaning "stern" or "severe".
Name Census estimates that about 709 living Americans carry the first name Severin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Severin today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Severin births was 2014 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Severin. 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
709
~ 1 in 483,433 Americans
Peak year
2014
28 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,111
Tracked since 1908
Popularity
Severin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Severin from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 206 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Severin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Severin 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 Severin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Severins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Severin
The name Severin is derived from the Latin name Severinus, which itself is a derivative of the Roman family name Severus. Severus means "severe" or "strict" in Latin. The name first emerged during the Roman era.
Severin became a popular name among early Christians due to its association with Saint Severinus, a 5th-century monastic founder and apostle of Noricum (modern-day Austria). He was known for his austerity, asceticism, and charitable works.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Severin is found in the writings of Eugippius, a 6th-century monk who authored the Vita Sancti Severini (Life of Saint Severin). This text chronicled the life and miracles of Saint Severinus, further popularizing the name.
In the Middle Ages, the name Severin was widely used in various parts of Europe, particularly in Germanic and Slavic regions. It was often spelled as Severin, Severin, or Severyn.
Notable historical figures named Severin include Severin of Cologne (4th century), a Roman Catholic saint and bishop; Severin of Noricum (410-482), the aforementioned Austrian saint; Severin Eisenmenger (1552-1585), a German mathematician; Severin Roesen (1635-1708), a Dutch Golden Age painter; and Severin Navishensky (1789-1835), a Russian architect.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Severin gained popularity in parts of Eastern Europe, with several notable writers, artists, and intellectuals bearing this name. These include Severin Liebhart (1835-1914), an Austrian poet; Severin Rüttgers (1876-1946), a German politician; and Severin Eismann (1891-1969), an Estonian-Swedish painter and graphic artist.
Over time, the name Severin has been used in various cultures and regions, often with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. While its usage has waxed and waned across different periods, it has maintained a presence throughout history, particularly in regions with strong Christian and Roman influences.
People
Severin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Severin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Severin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Severin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 709 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Severin 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 483,433 US residents.
Is Severin a common name?
We classify Severin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 899 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Severin most popular?
The single biggest year for Severin was 2014, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Severin is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Severin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Severin 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.
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.