Unisex name · Greek
Phoenix
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: dark red, crimsonPhoenix is a gender-neutral name that comes from Greek and means "dark red, crimson". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Dark red, crimson
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #534 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Phoenix
As a gender-neutral name, Phoenix comes from Greek and means "dark red, crimson". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Phoenix on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Phoenix on 11 lists.
“Rises again after every Monday”
From Funny names to have Siri call you, cool names for Siri to call you
“The rarest level, reborn as a server legend”
From Cute Discord role names, cute Discord level role names
“The legendary bird that rises from the ashes”
From Firefighter dog names, fire dog names inspired by fire
“Rises from a pot of crispy leaves every spring”
From Funny plant names, names for plants that are barely hanging on
“Dark red, crimson; Greek, the mythical bird reborn from fire”
From Gender neutral names, popular gender-neutral names
“Rises to every call, no matter the hour”
From Names for firefighters, cool firefighter names
“Dark red, crimson; Greek, the bird reborn from flames”
From Names that mean fire, unisex names that mean fire, flame or lamp
“The mythical firebird reborn from its own ashes”
From Orange cat names, names that mean red or fire
“Southern firebird, one of the constellations added in the late 1500s”
From Space names, constellation names
“Dark red, crimson; Greek. The mythical firebird that rises again”
From Strong female names, badass girl names
“Rises again, the way axolotls rebuild lost parts”
From Axolotl names, science and regeneration names
How popular is Phoenix?
In 2025, 567 girls and 1,027 boys in the US were named Phoenix.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #534
- 567 babies, 353 per million girls
- Best rank
- #285 in 2020
- 1,116 babies that year
- Babies since 1970
- At least 16,064
- 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 | 7 per million |
| 1980s | 9 per million |
| 1990s | 42 per million |
| 2000s | 153 per million |
| 2010s | 393 per million |
| 2020s | 550 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #440 | #362 | #350 | #313 | #285 | #311 | #317 | #349 | #419 | #534 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #329
- 1,027 babies, 601 per million boys
- Best rank
- #236 in 2020
- 1,534 babies that year
- Babies since 1968
- At least 24,571
- 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 | 1 per million |
| 1980s | 2 per million |
| 1990s | 50 per million |
| 2000s | 255 per million |
| 2010s | 565 per million |
| 2020s | 757 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #293 | #267 | #252 | #256 | #236 | #247 | #260 | #269 | #275 | #329 |
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 with a similar meaning
- MelaniaBlack, dark (Greek, girl)
- MelanieBlack, dark (Greek, girl)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DonovanDark brown (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DouglasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DoyleDescendant of the dark stranger (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DuffDark (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- KedarDark (Hebrew, boy)
- KeiraDark one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- KieranLittle dark one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Phoenix
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
Phoenix: common questions
What does the name Phoenix mean?
Phoenix comes from Greek and means "dark red, crimson".
Is Phoenix a boy or girl name?
Phoenix is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 567 girls and 1,027 boys in the US were named Phoenix, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Phoenix come from?
Phoenix comes from Greek and means "dark red, crimson". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Phoenix?
Phoenix ranked #534 in the US in 2025, with 567 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Phoenix?
Middle names that flow well with Phoenix include Anne, Dawn, Isaac, Lark and Micah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.