Ignatius
Ignatius was given to 100 boys in 2025, #1,664 among boys’ names; 4,075 Americans have been recorded with it since 1885 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 1,900 Americans named Ignatius and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (47% of everyone recorded); the median is 13 years old and half are between 6 and 45.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Ignatius by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Ignatius mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Ignatius is “a male given name from Latin; of mostly Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox usage in English.” Its etymology gives the senses “fire” (ignis) and “Fiery One” (to).
Also “a male given name of historical usage, notably borne by Saint Ignatius of Antioch (died c. 108/140 CE)”
From Latin Ignātius, variant of gens name Egnātius, altered to resemble ignis (“fire”), establishing a folk etymology meaning akin to “Fiery One”. Of uncertain origin, perhaps originally borrowed from Etruscan. It might be related to Ancient Greek ἴγνης (ígnēs, “indigene”), ἴγνητος (ígnētos), from *ἔν-γνη-τες (*én-gnē-tes), formed from έν (én) + Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to give birth, produce”), also seen in γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “to come into being”).
/ɪɡˈneɪ.ʃəs/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Ignatius?
#1,664 among boys’ names, 2025
Ignatius rose from #2,242 in 2015 to #1,664 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 31.3 to 58.5 per million.
100 babies in 2025, the peak
Ignatius peaked in 2025, when 100 boys were given it, #1,664 among boys’ names. In 2024 it went to 95 boys.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 100 | #1,664 | 0.06 |
| 2024 | 95 | #1,742 | 0.06 |
| 2023 | 89 | #1,807 | 0.05 |
| 2022 | 85 | #1,864 | 0.05 |
| 2021 | 84 | #1,843 | 0.05 |
| 2020 | 80 | #1,855 | 0.05 |
| 2019 | 79 | #1,892 | 0.04 |
| 2018 | 78 | #1,904 | 0.04 |
| 2017 | 70 | #2,025 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 62 | #2,190 | 0.03 |
Every recorded year (140)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 60 | #2,242 | 0.03 |
| 2014 | 41 | #2,860 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 48 | #2,544 | 0.03 |
| 2012 | 38 | #3,019 | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 52 | #2,415 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 35 | #3,197 | 0.02 |
| 2009 | 34 | #3,289 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 33 | #3,372 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 28 | #3,728 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 23 | #4,139 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 16 | #5,118 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 15 | #5,344 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 13 | #5,661 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 23 | #3,710 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 7 | #8,636 | under 0.01 |
| 2000 | 7 | #8,530 | under 0.01 |
| 1999 | 13 | #5,134 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 9 | #6,499 | under 0.01 |
| 1997 | 11 | #5,412 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 6 | #8,316 | under 0.01 |
| 1995 | 6 | #8,186 | under 0.01 |
| 1994 | 9 | #6,033 | under 0.01 |
| 1993 | 7 | #7,103 | under 0.01 |
| 1992 | 9 | #5,823 | under 0.01 |
| 1991 | 12 | #4,585 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 9 | #5,538 | under 0.01 |
| 1989 | 13 | #4,125 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 5 | #7,729 | under 0.01 |
| 1987 | 5 | #7,403 | under 0.01 |
| 1986 | 5 | #7,135 | under 0.01 |
| 1985 | 10 | #4,165 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 5 | #6,719 | under 0.01 |
| 1983 | 8 | #4,660 | under 0.01 |
| 1982 | 5 | #6,745 | under 0.01 |
| 1981 | 8 | #4,695 | under 0.01 |
| 1979 | 11 | #3,661 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,340 | under 0.01 |
| 1977 | 8 | #4,342 | under 0.01 |
| 1976 | 6 | #5,200 | under 0.01 |
| 1975 | 8 | #4,091 | 0.01 |
| 1974 | 10 | #3,417 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 8 | #3,843 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 8 | #3,769 | under 0.01 |
| 1971 | 12 | #2,880 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 8 | #3,643 | under 0.01 |
| 1969 | 7 | #3,739 | under 0.01 |
| 1968 | 13 | #2,381 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 14 | #2,191 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 11 | #2,534 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 19 | #1,829 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 21 | #1,762 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 14 | #2,249 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 14 | #2,226 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 23 | #1,711 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 18 | #1,939 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 17 | #2,004 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 21 | #1,748 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 20 | #1,813 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 32 | #1,367 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 26 | #1,516 | 0.01 |
| 1954 | 19 | #1,789 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 14 | #2,143 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 17 | #1,895 | 0.01 |
| 1951 | 18 | #1,801 | 0.01 |
| 1950 | 16 | #1,912 | 0.01 |
| 1949 | 14 | #2,064 | 0.01 |
| 1948 | 22 | #1,582 | 0.01 |
| 1947 | 22 | #1,623 | 0.01 |
| 1946 | 18 | #1,715 | 0.01 |
| 1945 | 16 | #1,728 | 0.01 |
| 1944 | 23 | #1,416 | 0.02 |
| 1943 | 31 | #1,247 | 0.02 |
| 1942 | 44 | #1,014 | 0.03 |
| 1941 | 23 | #1,429 | 0.02 |
| 1940 | 25 | #1,348 | 0.02 |
| 1939 | 19 | #1,554 | 0.02 |
| 1938 | 26 | #1,322 | 0.02 |
| 1937 | 29 | #1,248 | 0.03 |
| 1936 | 25 | #1,343 | 0.02 |
| 1935 | 25 | #1,377 | 0.02 |
| 1934 | 29 | #1,255 | 0.03 |
| 1933 | 35 | #1,112 | 0.04 |
| 1932 | 43 | #1,015 | 0.04 |
| 1931 | 42 | #1,044 | 0.04 |
| 1930 | 71 | #760 | 0.06 |
| 1929 | 50 | #957 | 0.05 |
| 1928 | 67 | #800 | 0.06 |
| 1927 | 56 | #918 | 0.05 |
| 1926 | 68 | #797 | 0.06 |
| 1925 | 60 | #862 | 0.05 |
| 1924 | 90 | #689 | 0.08 |
| 1923 | 67 | #824 | 0.06 |
| 1922 | 92 | #676 | 0.08 |
| 1921 | 90 | #685 | 0.08 |
| 1920 | 97 | #642 | 0.09 |
| 1919 | 95 | #621 | 0.10 |
| 1918 | 88 | #660 | 0.09 |
| 1917 | 95 | #611 | 0.10 |
| 1916 | 78 | #675 | 0.09 |
| 1915 | 81 | #645 | 0.10 |
| 1914 | 59 | #661 | 0.09 |
| 1913 | 54 | #602 | 0.11 |
| 1912 | 43 | #644 | 0.10 |
| 1911 | 29 | #566 | 0.13 |
| 1910 | 20 | #666 | 0.10 |
| 1909 | 14 | #784 | 0.09 |
| 1908 | 8 | #1,064 | 0.05 |
| 1907 | 10 | #900 | 0.07 |
| 1906 | 18 | #555 | 0.14 |
| 1905 | 11 | #768 | 0.08 |
| 1904 | 10 | #782 | 0.08 |
| 1903 | 9 | #817 | 0.08 |
| 1902 | 8 | #890 | 0.07 |
| 1901 | 7 | #897 | 0.07 |
| 1900 | 11 | #812 | 0.07 |
| 1899 | 7 | #899 | 0.07 |
| 1898 | 14 | #589 | 0.11 |
| 1897 | 7 | #888 | 0.06 |
| 1896 | 11 | #700 | 0.09 |
| 1895 | 8 | #831 | 0.07 |
| 1894 | 9 | #762 | 0.08 |
| 1893 | 9 | #732 | 0.08 |
| 1892 | 8 | #828 | 0.07 |
| 1891 | 5 | #1,036 | 0.05 |
| 1890 | 9 | #701 | 0.08 |
| 1889 | 9 | #697 | 0.08 |
| 1888 | 7 | #866 | 0.06 |
| 1887 | 5 | #995 | 0.05 |
| 1886 | 6 | #901 | 0.05 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,014 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Ignatius a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Ignatius has been recorded only for boys: SSA lists no girls with the name in 140 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Ignatius: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Ignatius, and how old are they?
1,900 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 47% of the 4,075 Americans ever recorded as Ignatius. The median Ignatius alive today is 13 years old; half are between 6 and 45.
The 2020 Census counted 2,074 people named Ignatius (5 women and girls, 2,069 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 1,539 born in the U.S. The Census count is 35% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 96 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 242 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 130 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 116 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 352 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 964 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Ignatius born?
The states with the most babies named Ignatius are Texas, Kansas and Michigan, with 62% of its births recorded by state in 2025; Kansas is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 10 | #1,692 | 0.2× |
| Kansas | 10 | #367 | 0.4× |
| Michigan | 6 | #1,035 | 0.3× |
| Washington | 6 | #943 | 0.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | #1,315 | 1.1× |
| Ohio | 5 | #1,356 | 0.6× |
Where Ignatius is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Ignatius is most over-represented in New York: since 1910 it was given 1.8 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Ignatius with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Ignatius
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Ignatius and names like it
- Compare Ignatius and LeopoldBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sIgnatius peaked in 2025.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Ignatius since 1910.
- Latin namesWiktionary’s origin for Ignatius: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Ignatius.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Ignatius alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with IMost given first.