Unisex · #3,875 in 2026

Crimson

Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose. It is the national color of Nepal.

Current Rank
#3,875
Peak Rank
#2,539 (2016)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
-15%
👧 Girl peak #2,539 (1K total)
👦 Boy peak #2,725 (599 total)
👧As Girl Name
1974
First Year
2026
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#2539
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
51
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1998
First Year
2026
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#2725
Peak Rank
599
Total Count
27
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Crimson

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

Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose. It is the national color of Nepal.

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

Etymology
Crimson is a type of red . English dictionaries define crimson as a deep red, a rich red, or a purplish red. The word crimson refers to the kermes insect used to create the kermes dye . It comes from the Arabic word for the kermes insect, which was adapted to Medieval Latin and then Middle English , where it referred to both the insect and the dye c. 1400 . Earlier forms include cremesin , crymysyn and cramoysin (cf. cramoisy, a crimson cloth). These were adapted via Old Spanish from the Medieval Latin cremesinus (also kermesinus or carmesinus ), the dye produced from Kermes scale insects, and
Origin & history
Crimson (NR4) is produced using the dried bodies of a scale insect , Kermes , which were gathered commercially in Mediterranean countries, where they live on the kermes oak , and sold throughout Europe. Kermes dyes have been found in burial wrappings in Anglo-Scandinavian York . They fell out of use with the introduction of carmine , also made from scale insects, because although the dyes were comparable in quality and color intensity, ten to twelve times as much kermes is needed to produce the same effect as carmine. Carmine is a slightly different shade of red, extracted from a different ins

The Story of Crimson

As a girl name

Crimson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1974, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 70 Crimsons were born — ranking #2,539 that year. As of 2026, Crimson ranks #3,875 for girls with 38 births, gradually falling (-15%). In total, more than 1K Crimsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Crimson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1998, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 44 Crimsons were born — ranking #2,725 that year. As of 2026, Crimson ranks #3,715 for boys with 30 births, holding steady (-5%). In total, more than 599 Crimsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

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 Crimson

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

  • Krizan
  • Crimsons
  • Crimsoned
  • Crimen
  • Khamsin
  • Kremen
  • Christen
  • Crewman
  • Chrism
  • Crimean
  • Cruzan
  • Christene

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Crimson

What does the name Crimson mean?
Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose. It is the national color of Nepal.
How popular is Crimson in 2026?
In 2026, Crimson ranks #3,875 among girls' names in the U.S., with 38 babies given the name that year.
When was Crimson most popular?
Crimson reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #2,539 that year with 70 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Crimson most popular?
Crimson has historically been most popular in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Crimson.
Is Crimson a unisex name?
Yes — Crimson is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 69% of Crimsons assigned female and 31% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Crimson?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Crimson include Sheilla, Pennye, Tanda. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧 Similar Girl Names

👧
Sheilla
Peak #2539
👧
Pennye
Peak #2539
👧
Tanda
Peak #2539
👧
Cricket
Peak #2539

👦 Similar Boy Names

👦
Rubel
Peak #2725
👦
Vivan
Peak #2725
👦
Argie
Peak #2725
👦
Lemoine
Peak #2725

About the name Crimson

Crimson is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1974 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Crimson's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #2,539. Use the chart and map above to compare Crimson'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.