Holding steady.
Popularity of Ovid since 1886
Babies named Ovid per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1915, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Ovid's real moment was 1894.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 8 |
| 1900s | 22 |
| 1910s | 190 |
| 1920s | 195 |
| 1930s | 123 |
| 1940s | 84 |
| 1950s | 55 |
| 1960s | 39 |
| 1970s | 15 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Ovid is a name steeped in classical history, directly drawn from the Roman poet who wrote 'Metamorphoses'. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1886 and saw its peak year in 1894, though it never reached mainstream popularity. The name remains extremely rare in the 21st century, with its trajectory stable at near-zero usage. Despite its literary weight, Ovid has not seen a revival and is chosen by very few parents today.
Ovid is the Anglicized form of the Latin cognomen Ovidius, famously borne by the Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC - AD 17). The meaning of the name is debated; it may derive from Latin 'ovis' (sheep) or be of Etruscan origin. Largely confined to classical reference in English-speaking countries, it saw rare use as a given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Ovid
Names that share Ovid's style, for a brother or sister.
