Beowulf
Beowulf is an Old English poem, an epic in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines, contained in the Nowell Codex. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature.
Meaning & Origin of Beowulf
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Beowulf is an Old English poem, an epic in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines, contained in the Nowell Codex. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Beowulf
Beowulf first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2010, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 10 Beowulfs were born — ranking #7,583 that year. As of 2026, Beowulf ranks #12,301 for baby boys with 5 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 77 Beowulfs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Beowulf
Phonetically similar names — useful when Beowulf 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 Beowulf
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About the name Beowulf
Beowulf is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2010 and has accumulated 77 births in the dataset. Beowulf's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #7,583. Use the chart and map above to compare Beowulf's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy 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.