Rising since 1994, #445 for boys today.
Popularity of Apollo since 1965
Babies named Apollo per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 21 |
| 1970s | 135 |
| 1980s | 263 |
| 1990s | 144 |
| 2000s | 512 |
| 2010s | 3,445 |
| 2020s | 4,480 |
Meaning & origin
Apollo entered the U.S. naming data in 1965, a time when mythological and celestial names began to gain traction. Since a low point in the 1990s, the name has climbed steadily, rising from obscurity to a rank of 445 in 2025. Its trajectory is clearly upward, having been on the rise since 1994. In recent years, Apollo has been most popular in Nevada (NV), Nebraska (NE), and Colorado (CO), suggesting a preference in the western and mountain states. The name's peak rank was 247 in 2022, reflecting a broader trend toward bold, classic god names. Currently, about 1 in every 2,413 boys receives the name Apollo, a remarkable ascent from its first recorded appearance six decades ago.
Apollo is the name of the Greek god of music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light, and knowledge. The name's etymology is debated; it may derive from the Greek verb apollymi ('to destroy') or from a Pre-Greek or Anatolian source. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, particularly in literary and artistic circles, and gained modern popularity in the United States starting in the 1960s.
Where Apollo is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Apollo” around the world
Where Apollo lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Apoll, Pollo, Apo
Variants: Apollon, Apolo
Sibling names for Apollo
Names that share Apollo's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Artemis, Athena, Calliope, Diana, Phoebe, Danae, Echo, Isis, Kalliope, Minerva, Selene, Venus, Ariadne, Eris, Gaia, Jupiter, Pandora, Persephone, Aphrodite, Astraea, Clio, Galaxy, Gemini, Hera, Nyx, Solara, Theia, Ambrosia, Andromeda, Asteria, Cassiopeia, Circe, Kaliope, Latona, Medea, Narcissus, Persephanie, Solar, Urania, Astrea, Athene, Athenea, Caliope, Callisto, Cybele, Demetress, Elysium, Eurydice, Hebe, Ilithyia, Inanna, Nemesis, Niobe, Ourania, Persephonie, Seleen, Zelene
Brothers: Ares, Atlas, Orion, Zeus, Achilles, Adonis, Mars, Eros, Hercules, Ladon, Osiris, Alcides, Helios, Hermes, Kairos, Rigel, Sirius, Argus, Astro, Hades, Helio, Hymen, Jove, Mercury, Nike, Phenix, Poseidon, Artimus, Chaos, Chiron, Icarus, Leto, Prometheus, Thanos, Zephyrus
