Spartan
A given masculine name derived from ancient Sparta signifying austerity and courage.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Spartan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Spartan today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Spartan births was 2008 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Spartan. 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 Spartan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2008
5 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2008 SSA rank
#14,321
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Spartan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Spartan 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 Spartan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Spartan
The name Spartan has its origins in the ancient Greek culture, specifically the city-state of Sparta, located in the southern Peloponnese region of Greece. The name is derived from the Greek word "Spartiates," which referred to the inhabitants of Sparta.
Sparta was renowned for its military prowess and the strict disciplinary culture imposed on its citizens from birth. The Spartan warriors were among the fiercest and most formidable in ancient Greece, known for their valor, endurance, and unwavering loyalty to their city-state.
The name Spartan is closely associated with the legendary Spartan king Leonidas I, who led his army of 300 Spartan warriors against the vast Persian forces at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. Leonidas and his men famously fought to the death, inspiring generations with their heroism and sacrifice.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Spartan was Spartan, a Thracian gladiator who fought in ancient Rome during the 1st century AD. He was renowned for his exceptional fighting skills and was celebrated in the writings of various Roman authors, including Suetonius and Cassius Dio.
In the 5th century AD, a Roman general named Spartan played a crucial role in defending the city of Rome against the invading Visigoths under the command of Alaric I. His efforts helped secure the city's safety during a critical period.
During the Renaissance, the name Spartan gained popularity as a symbol of courage and discipline. One notable figure was Spartan Chigi, an Italian nobleman and patron of the arts who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his patronage of artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo.
In more recent history, Spartan was the nickname given to Major General George S. Patton Jr., the legendary American military commander who led the Third Army during World War II. His tenacity, leadership, and strategic brilliance earned him the moniker "Spartan" among his troops.
People
Spartan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Spartan 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
Spartan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Spartan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Spartan 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 Spartan a common name?
We classify Spartan 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Spartan most popular?
The single biggest year for Spartan was 2008, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Spartan is about 18 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 Spartan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Spartan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Spartan 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 Spartan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Spartan 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 Spartan 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 common is the name Spartan?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Spartan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.