Holding steady.
Popularity of Athol since 1904
Babies named Athol per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1921, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Athol's real moment was 1904.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 45 |
| 1920s | 75 |
| 1930s | 5 |
| 1940s | 6 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Athol is a rare Scottish place name that saw its brief peak in 1904, the year it first appeared in U.S. birth records. Since then its usage has remained extremely low, never ranking among the top names. The name's Gaelic roots connect it to the historic region of Atholl in Perthshire, a name meaning 'New Ireland'. Despite its obscurity, Athol carries a strong Scottish heritage and a rugged, place-name quality. It has not been recorded in the top 1000 for any recent decade, making it a truly uncommon choice. The name's trajectory has been stable at near-zero usage, with no significant revivals.
Athol is a Scottish place name, derived from the Gaelic 'Ath Fodhla', meaning 'New Ireland'. It was originally a territorial name from the region of Atholl in Perthshire, Scotland. The name came into use as a given name in the 19th century, likely as a transfer of the surname. It has also been used in Ireland, where it sometimes serves as an anglicized form of the Irish name Eoghan.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Athy
Variants: Atholl
Sibling names for Athol
Names that share Athol's style, for a brother or sister.
