Boy · #405 in 2026

Apollo

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Apollo is one of the Olympian deities. His numerous functions include healing, prophecy, music, poetry, and archery. He is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. He is considered to be the most beautiful god and is represented as the ideal of the kouros. In the 5th century BC, his worship was imported to Rome.

Current Rank
#405
Peak Rank
#389 (2022)
Total Babies
10K
5-Yr Trend
+25%
2020
First Year
2021
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#12196
Peak Rank
12
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Apollo

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Apollo is one of the Olympian deities. His numerous functions include healing, prophecy, music, poetry, and archery. He is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. He is considered to be the most beautiful god and is represented as the ideal of the kouros. In the 5th century BC, his worship was imported to Rome.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Apollo, fresco from Pompeii , 1st century AD Apollo ( Attic , Ionic , and Homeric Greek : Ἀπόλλων , Apollōn ( GEN Ἀπόλλωνος ); Doric : Ἀπέλλων , Apellōn ; Arcadocypriot : Ἀπείλων , Apeilōn ; Aeolic : Ἄπλουν , Aploun ; Latin : Apollō ) The name Apollo —unlike Paean , the related older name —is generally not found in the Linear B ( Mycenean Greek ) texts, although there is a possible attestation in the lacunose form ]pe-rjo-[ (Linear B: ] .mw-parser-output .script-Cprt{font-size:1.25em;font-family:"Segoe UI Historic","Noto Sans Cypriot",Code2001}.mw-parser-output .script-Hano{font-size:125%;font

The Story of Apollo

Apollo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1965, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 820 Apollos were born — ranking #389 that year. As of 2026, Apollo ranks #405 for baby boys with 794 births, rising sharply (+25% over the past five years). In total, more than 10K Apollos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Apollo

Phonetically similar names — useful when Apollo is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Apolo
  • Appello
  • Apala
  • Apollos
  • Apol
  • Apella
  • Abolla
  • Appellee
  • Upflow
  • Upolu
  • Zapallo
  • Appall

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Apollo

What does the name Apollo mean?
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Apollo is one of the Olympian deities. His numerous functions include healing, prophecy, music, poetry, and archery. He is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. He is considered to be the most beautiful god and is represented as the ideal of the kouros. In the 5th century BC, his worship was imported to Rome.
How popular is Apollo in 2026?
In 2026, Apollo ranks #405 among boys' names in the U.S., with 794 babies given the name that year.
When was Apollo most popular?
Apollo reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #389 that year with 820 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Apollo most popular?
Apollo has historically been most popular in Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Apollo.
Is Apollo a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Apollo is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Apollo?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Apollo include Pierre, Watson, Infant. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Apollo

Apollo is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1965 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Apollo's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #389. Use the chart and map above to compare Apollo's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.