Boy · #6,065 in 2026

Attila

Attila is a popular masculine name in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. Primarily in Hungary, Turkey and Chuvashia. Attila is the most used version in Hungary, however another version of Attila is Atilla and Etele, the female equivalent of which is Etelka. Attila may be also used as Atilla in Turkish.

  • History
  • Hungarian
  • Turkish
Current Rank
#6,065
Peak Rank
#2,028 (2009)
Total Babies
681
5-Yr Trend
+40%
1958
First Year
2026
Last Year
2009
Peak Year
#2028
Peak Rank
681
Total Count
64
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Attila

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

Attila is a popular masculine name in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. Primarily in Hungary, Turkey and Chuvashia. Attila is the most used version in Hungary, however another version of Attila is Atilla and Etele, the female equivalent of which is Etelka. Attila may be also used as Atilla in Turkish.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • History
  • Hungarian
  • Turkish
Etymology
It has been traditionally claimed that the name Attila is formed from Gothic atta meaning "father", through the diminutive suffix - ila , the "little father". Related names are not uncommon among Germanic peoples of the period, i. e. Ætla , Bishop of Dorchester. The Gothic etymology was proposed by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 19th century. Tom Shippey argued that the Gothic etymology is a product of 19th century Germanic romantic philological revisionism. Otto Maenchen-Helfen , who considered Gothic etymology, noted that Hunnic names were "not the true names of the Hun princes a

The Story of Attila

American parents first put Attila on the record books as a baby boy name in 1958, with 10 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 18 Attilas were born — ranking #5,102 that year. About 20% of every Attila on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Attila ranks #6,065 for baby boys with 14 births, rising sharply (+40% over the past five years). All told, over 681 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to 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
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Attila

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Attila. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Attila

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Attila

What does the name Attila mean?
Attila is a popular masculine name in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. Primarily in Hungary, Turkey and Chuvashia. Attila is the most used version in Hungary, however another version of Attila is Atilla and Etele, the female equivalent of which is Etelka. Attila may be also used as Atilla in Turkish.
What is the origin of the name Attila?
Attila has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: History, Hungarian, Turkish.
How popular is Attila in 2026?
In 2026, Attila ranks #6,065 among boys' names in the U.S., with 14 babies given the name that year.
When was Attila most popular?
Attila reached its peak popularity in 2009, ranking #2,028 that year with 18 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Attila most popular?
Attila has historically been most popular in New Jersey, Ohio, New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Attila.
Is Attila a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Attila is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Attila?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Attila include Richar, Breyden, Luxton. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Attila?
Common variants and related forms of Attila include Atila, Atilla. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Attila

Attila is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 681 births in the dataset. Attila's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #2,028. Use the chart and map above to compare Attila'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.