Xanthus
A Greek name meaning "yellow" or "golden-haired".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Xanthus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Xanthus today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xanthus births was 2004 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xanthus. 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 Xanthus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2004
6 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2013 SSA rank
#13,976
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Xanthus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Xanthus from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 6 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
Xanthus 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 Xanthus 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 Xanthus
Xanthus is a given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word "xanthos," meaning "yellow" or "golden." It is believed to have emerged during the classical period of Ancient Greece, around the 5th century BCE.
The name Xanthus was associated with the ancient Greek city of Xanthos, located in the region of Lycia, in modern-day Turkey. The city was renowned for its impressive rock-cut tombs and architectural remains, which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Greek mythology, Xanthus was the name of one of the immortal horses of Achilles, as mentioned in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad. The horse possessed the ability to speak and warned Achilles of his impending death during the Trojan War.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Xanthus was a historian from Lydia, who lived in the 5th century BCE. He wrote a work titled "Lydian History," which is unfortunately lost to time, but was referenced by other ancient authors.
In the 4th century BCE, Xanthus of Sardis was a notable sculptor from Ancient Greece. He is best known for his sculptures of Muses, which were highly regarded in antiquity.
During the 3rd century BCE, Xanthus of Lesbos was a renowned Greek grammarian and scholar. He is credited with writing several works on literary criticism and the study of language.
In the 1st century CE, Xanthus the Phoenician was a philosopher and historian who wrote about the history and culture of the Phoenicians, though his works have not survived.
Another notable figure was Xanthus of Cilicia, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century CE. He was executed for his religious beliefs during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Decius.
Throughout history, the name Xanthus has been relatively rare, but it has been used across various cultures and time periods, often associated with individuals of Greek heritage or those with an interest in classical literature and philosophy.
People
Xanthus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xanthus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xanthus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xanthus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xanthus 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Xanthus a common name?
We classify Xanthus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xanthus most popular?
The single biggest year for Xanthus was 2004, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xanthus 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 Xanthus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Xanthus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xanthus 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 Xanthus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Xanthus 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 Xanthus 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 many people have Xanthus as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Xanthus, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.