Arbutus
Arbutus is a genus of 12 accepted species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, the Canary Islands and North America, and commonly called madrones, madronas, or strawberry trees. The name Arbutus was taken by taxonomists from Latin, where it referred to the species now designated Arbutus unedo.
Meaning & Origin of Arbutus
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Arbutus is a genus of 12 accepted species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, the Canary Islands and North America, and commonly called madrones, madronas, or strawberry trees. The name Arbutus was taken by taxonomists from Latin, where it referred to the species now designated Arbutus unedo.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Arbutus
Arbutus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1906, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 50 Arbutuss were born — ranking #1,079 that year. As of 2026, Arbutus ranks #6,567 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Arbutuss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Arbutus
Phonetically similar names — useful when Arbutus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Orbits
- Arbiters
- Orbita
- Artis
- Orbiting
- Arbus
- Orbity
- Rbis
- Orbiters
- Rbt
- Arktis
- Abatis
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Arbutus
What does the name Arbutus mean?
How popular is Arbutus in 2026?
When was Arbutus most popular?
In which U.S. states is Arbutus most popular?
Is Arbutus a unisex name?
What names go well with Arbutus?
About the name Arbutus
Arbutus is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1906 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Arbutus's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #1,079. Use the chart and map above to compare Arbutus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1927 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.