Boy name · Greek
Ares
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: perhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or maleAres 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
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 3 per million |
| 2000s | 22 per million |
| 2010s | 161 per million |
| 2020s | 458 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.
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.

