Universe
An English name representing the entire cosmos or existence itself.
Name Census estimates that about 47 living Americans carry the first name Universe. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Universe today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Universe births was 2018 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Universe. 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 Universe. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
47
~ 1 in 7,292,645 Americans
Peak year
2018
12 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2018 SSA rank
#12,029
Tracked since 2018
Gender
Gender distribution for Universe
Universe leans heavily female at 89.4% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Universe as a male name
- Ranked #13,948 in 2018
- 5 male births in 2018
- Peak: 2018 (5 births)
Universe as a female name
- Ranked #12,029 in 2024
- 8 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (9 births)
Popularity
Universe: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Universe from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 30 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
Universe 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 Universe 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 Universe
The name Universe is a relatively modern invention, first arising in the late 20th century as a unique and whimsical name choice. It does not have a direct origin from any particular language or culture, but rather is an English word used to refer to the cosmos or the entirety of existence.
One of the earliest recorded uses of Universe as a given name was in 1974 when American actress Universe Tara-Leigh Witt was born. She is perhaps the most notable person to bear this name, having appeared in various television shows and films throughout her career.
Another early example is Universe Sinclair, an American artist and poet born in 1975. Her work often explores themes of spirituality and the human connection to the natural world, which may have influenced her parents' choice of name.
In 1979, Universe Jacquelyn Batista was born in New York City. She later became a renowned fashion designer and philanthropist, using her unique name to stand out in the industry.
A more recent instance is Universe Samantha Keyes, a British musician and singer-songwriter born in 1992. Her stage name pays homage to her given name and her interest in exploring the depths of the human experience through her music.
While not as common as more traditional names, Universe has also been given to a handful of other individuals throughout the world in recent decades. These include Universe Amari, a Canadian artist and activist born in 1988, and Universe Katarina Dimitrova, a Bulgarian author and poet born in 1995.
While the name Universe may be considered unconventional, it reflects a growing trend of parents seeking unique and meaningful names for their children, often drawing inspiration from nature, philosophy, or other conceptual sources. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, names like Universe may become more prevalent as a way to celebrate the universal human experience.
People
Universe + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Universe as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Universe: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Universe?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 47 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Universe 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 7,292,645 US residents.
Is Universe a common name?
We classify Universe as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 47 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Universe most popular?
The single biggest year for Universe was 2018, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Universe is about 5 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 Universe in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Universe a female name?
Yes, 89.4% of people registered as Universe 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.
Is Universe still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Universe 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 Universe 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 Universe?
Want to know how many people have the name Universe? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.