Syrius
A masculine name derived from the star Sirius in the Canis Major constellation.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Syrius. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Syrius today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Syrius births was 2013 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Syrius. 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 Syrius. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2013
5 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2013 SSA rank
#13,806
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Syrius: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Syrius 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 Syrius during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Syrius
The name Syrius is derived from the ancient Greek word "Seirios," which means "scorching" or "blazing." It is believed to have originated as a reference to the star Sirius, known as the "Dog Star" in the constellation Canis Major. This star was associated with the hottest days of summer in ancient Greek and Roman cultures.
The name Syrius is not widely recorded in ancient texts or historical records. However, it is worth noting that the Greek word "Seirios" appears in Homer's Iliad, where it is used to describe the intense heat of the sun during the summer months.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Syrius was Syrius of Alexandria, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. He was executed during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Decius for refusing to renounce his faith.
Another notable figure was Syrius Publius Papyrius, a Roman statesman and military leader who lived in the 5th century BC. He is best known for his role in the Samnite Wars, where he led the Roman forces to several victories against the Samnites, an ancient Italic people.
In the 9th century AD, Syrius the Archiater was a prominent Byzantine physician and scholar. He served as the chief physician to the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise and is credited with writing several medical treatises.
During the Renaissance period, Syrius Vicentinus (1501-1561) was an Italian humanist scholar and philosopher. He was a prolific writer and is best known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the 17th century, Syrius Nicon was a Russian Orthodox monk and theologian. He played a significant role in the reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church and was instrumental in revising and standardizing the liturgical texts and practices.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Syrius. While not a common name, it has been used across various cultures and time periods, often associated with scholarly or religious figures.
People
Syrius + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Syrius 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
Syrius: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Syrius?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Syrius 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 Syrius a common name?
We classify Syrius 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 Syrius most popular?
The single biggest year for Syrius was 2013, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Syrius is about 13 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 Syrius in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Syrius a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Syrius 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 Syrius still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Syrius 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 Syrius 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 Syrius?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Syrius at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.