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Boy name · Greek

Ares

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: perhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male

Ares is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "perhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male". It is used in English and Greek.

Meaning
Perhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male
Origin
Greek
Gender
Boy
US rank
#290 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Ares

As a boy's name, Ares comes from Greek and means "perhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male". It is used in English and Greek.

In Greek, say AIR-eez. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.

Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names

Ares on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Ares on 3 lists.

  • “Greek god of war, for a cat who battles shoelaces”

    From Boy cat names, strong male cat names

  • “Greek god of war, for a dog with fierce focus”

    From Boy dog names, mythology names for boy dogs

  • “Perhaps ruin, or male; Greek. The Olympian god of war. Say AIR-eez”

    From Greek boy names, male Greek god names

How popular is Ares?

US rank in 2025
#290
1,157 babies, 677 per million boys
Best rank
#290 in 2025
1,157 babies that year
Babies since 1983
At least 8,284
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 458 per million.
Babies named Ares per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s0 per million
1920s0 per million
1930s0 per million
1940s0 per million
1950s0 per million
1960s0 per million
1970s0 per million
1980s0 per million
1990s3 per million
2000s22 per million
2010s161 per million
2020s458 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#688#643#561#574#596#516#479#414#295#290

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Names spelled like Ares

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • AteşFire (Turkish, boy)
  • AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
  • AbelBreath (Hebrew, boy)
  • AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
  • ArielLion of God (Hebrew, boy)
  • ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
  • AdelJust, fair (Arabic, boy)
  • AmosLoad, burden; carried (Hebrew, boy)
  • AriA lion (Hebrew, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
  • ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
  • AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
  • LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
  • AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
  • KennethAnglicized Coinneach, handsome, and Cináed, perhaps born of fire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
  • SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
  • AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
  • AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
  • CatalinaSpanish form of Katherine, later linked to Greek pure (Greek, girl)

Middle names for Ares

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • BartholomewSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
  • BasilRoyal, kingly (Greek, boy)
  • CarltonSettlement of free peasants (Old English, boy)
  • FletcherArrow maker (Old French, boy)
  • JeremiahGod will exalt (Hebrew, boy)
  • RodneyHroda's island (Old English, boy)
  • WalkerCloth fuller (English, boy)
  • WilderUntamed (English, boy)

More boy names from Greek

  • AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
  • HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
  • TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
  • LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)

Ares: common questions

What does the name Ares mean?

Ares comes from Greek and means "perhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male". Checked against Behind the Name.

Is Ares a boy or girl name?

Ares is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 29 girls and 1,157 boys in the US were named Ares, according to Social Security Administration data.

Where does the name Ares come from?

Ares comes from Greek and means "perhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male". Today it is used in English and Greek.

How popular is the name Ares?

Ares ranked #290 in the US in 2025, with 1,157 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What names are similar to Ares?

Names spelled like Ares include Ateş, Axel, Abel, Alex and Ariel.

What middle names go with Ares?

Middle names that flow well with Ares include Bartholomew, Basil, Carlton, Fletcher and Jeremiah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.