Total births
371
Boys' name · since 1883
Festus
Since 1883, U.S. Social Security records show 371 babies named Festus, peaking in 1916. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 371
- total births
- 1883–2023
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
Festus is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 371 have been recorded since 1883.
Festus has 371 recorded births among boys since 1883, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2023.
- 371 total births
- 1883–2023 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 27% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
371 boys have been named Festus since 1883, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2023.
- 371
- total births
- 1883–2023
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Festus was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
16 babies were named Festus in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
Festus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Festus's full recorded timeline at 1928, 41% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 59% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1885, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1916 peak of 16 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Festus at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1883
Festus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2023
- Peak year (1916)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Festus by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Festus's strongest decade.
102 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Festus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 26
1880s
26 births
- 1890s 10
1890s
10 births
- 1900s 11
1900s
11 births
- 1910s
1910s
86 births
- 1920s
1920s
102 births
- 1930s
1930s
41 births
- 1940s 23
1940s
23 births
- 1950s 26
1950s
26 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 21
1970s
21 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 102 births (27% of all-time use).
Festus by state
Where Festus concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 5 | 1.3% |
North Carolina share of Festus's total US births 1.3%
5 of 371 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Festus? ▼
371 babies have been named Festus since 1883. It was last recorded in 2023. The peak year was 1916 with 16 births.
When was Festus most popular? ▼
Festus was most popular in the 1920s decade with 102 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Festus most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Festus are North Carolina (5 births).
How long has the name Festus been used? ▼
Festus has been recorded in Social Security data since 1883, spanning 141 years of data through 2023.
What names are similar to Festus? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Fess, Fester. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Festus's data
- Festus's decade-level peak was the 1920s (102 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Festuss (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Festus
Nearby Names Like Festus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Festus
Compare Festus side by side: Festus vs Fess Festus vs Fester
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1883–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Festus: Baby Name Since 1883 - 371 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/festus. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Festus draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.