Latin is everywhere in English naming, often invisibly. Most names derived from Greek came to English through Latin — Sophia, Julia, Helena. The Catholic saints' calendar is Latin. The Roman Empire named half of Western Europe. But there's a subset of names that come specifically from Latin itself — imperial names, astronomical names, virtue names — and several of them are having an exceptional moment right now.
Here are the most popular names of direct Latin origin in the 2024 US data.
Girls
Luna — #13 nationally, 7,135 babies. The Latin word for moon. Luna was virtually unknown in the US before 2000; it rose with the general boom in celestial names and got a push from Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series. The name is now top 15 and still climbing. Its Latin origin gives it linguistic roots in every Romance language — Luna is equally natural in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, and Romanian.
Nova — #39, 5,044 babies. From the Latin nova (new), used in astronomy for a suddenly brightening star. Nova follows the Luna pattern: an astronomical Latin name, essentially unused before the 1990s, now in the top 40. Its brevity — two syllables, clean consonants — helps it travel across cultural contexts. Nova in Italian means "new"; in Portuguese it's a common adjective.
Natalie — #73, 3,114 babies. From Latin natalis (birth day, of or relating to birth). The French and English form of Natalia. Natalie entered the American top 100 in the 1950s and has stayed there. It's one of the few Latin-origin names to have been popular continuously for seven decades — unlike Luna and Nova, which are new, Natalie is a perennial.
Julia — #116, 2,359 babies. The feminine form of Julius, the great Roman clan name. Julia was the name of Augustus Caesar's daughter, and appears throughout Roman history. In the US it has been inside the top 200 for most of the past century. It's one of those rare names that feels simultaneously ancient, continental European, and completely current — Julia works in every language.
Gemma — #203, 1,514 babies. From Latin gemma (precious stone, gem). Gemma has been common in Italy for centuries (Dante's wife was named Gemma). In the US it sat below the charts until around 2010 and has climbed steadily since. It now sits at #203 and is still rising — the trajectory suggests it has more room.
Arabella — #206, 1,476 babies. Medieval Latin Arabella, possibly from orabilis (yielding to prayer). Arabella is having a significant moment in English-speaking countries; it's one of the fastest-rising girls' names in the UK as well. The name has a long vowel richness — four syllables, all open — that appeals to the current taste for longer, more formal-sounding names with historical roots.
Flora — #648, 452 babies. The Roman goddess of flowers, from Latin flos/floris. Flora peaked in the Victorian era and is now in a slow revival — similar to other Greco-Roman goddess names (Aurora, Luna, Nova) but more restrained. Florence (#364) is climbing faster, but Flora is the simpler form.
Miranda — #622, 478 babies. From Latin mirandus, meaning "worthy of admiration." Best known from Shakespeare's The Tempest (a name he invented using the Latin gerundive). Miranda has been mid-chart in the US for decades; it may be due for a reassessment.
Boys
Alexander — #27, 7,517 babies. Greek in ultimate origin (Alexandros), but passed into Latin and became the standard European form through the Roman Empire and Latin Christendom. Alexander the Great's name spread through every culture Rome touched. In 2024 it's top 30 in the US, top 10 in several European countries. Few names have been continuously popular across 2,500 years.
Silas — #81, 4,108 babies. Latin form of the Greek name Silouanos (from silva, forest). Silas was an early Christian companion of Paul; the name appears in the New Testament. In the US it was rare until the 2000s and has climbed steadily to #81 — one of the more interesting Latin names to have broken through in the current vintage revival.
Tristan — #267, 1,296 babies. From Latin Tristanus, ultimately from the Celtic legend of Tristan and Isolde, transmitted through Latin literature. Tristan peaked in the US in the early 2000s and has been slowly declining.
Maximus — #330, 1,043 babies. The Latin superlative: "the greatest." Used throughout the Roman Empire as a name and honorific. Maximus got a significant boost from Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000), which featured Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius. It's been inside the top 500 since then and is now approaching the top 300. Max as a nickname makes it practical.
Julius — #389, 838 babies. The great Roman clan name of Julius Caesar. Julius has been used continuously in the English-speaking world, usually as a more formal or literary alternative to Julian. It's mid-chart and growing slightly.
Apollo — #414, 776 babies. The god of the sun, music, and prophecy. Apollo is unusual in being a god's name that has fully entered the regular naming pool — most Greco-Roman deity names (Zeus, Mars, Juno) remain off-limits. Apollo feels different: the NASA program gave it a technological modernity, and its two-syllable, vowel-rich structure fits current taste.
Magnus — #749, 340 babies. Latin for "great." Magnus was used throughout medieval Scandinavia (Magnus the Good, Magnus Maximus) as well as in Rome. In the US it reads as either Scandinavian or classical Latin — both confer gravitas. It's a rising name, particularly among families looking for a short classical alternative to Maximus.
What Latin names have that others don't
Three things make Latin names distinctive:
They're universally recognised. A name like Luna or Julia requires no explanation in any European language — every speaker has a version of it. This portability matters for multilingual families and international contexts.
They have depth without weight. Classical Greek names can feel heavy or obscure; Latin names — built through centuries of use in the Catholic Church, in law, in science, in European courts — have a familiarity that takes the edge off. Luna feels lighter than Selene; Julia feels more accessible than Hypatia.
The celestial and natural categories are currently ascending. Luna (#13), Nova (#39), Aurora (#35), and Lyra (#457) are all rooted in Latin astronomical or natural vocabulary. The current taste for names with cosmic or natural meaning has driven more discovery of classical Latin names than any other trend.
Explore more origin spotlights: Greek names, Hebrew names, Italian names, Spanish names.
Data: SSA 2024 release. Origin classifications from Wikidata enrichment.