Fabian
Fabian is the English form of the late Roman name Fabianus. This was a name originally given to those adopted into or descended through the female line from a Roman family named Fabius, that derived from the Latin faba for the broad bean, an important food crop in antiquity.
- German
- Dutch
- Polish
- Romanian
Meaning & Origin of Fabian
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Fabian is the English form of the late Roman name Fabianus. This was a name originally given to those adopted into or descended through the female line from a Roman family named Fabius, that derived from the Latin faba for the broad bean, an important food crop in antiquity.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
- Dutch
- Polish
- Romanian
- English
- Hungarian
- Spanish
The Story of Fabian
American parents first put Fabian on the record books as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 1,396 Fabians were born — ranking #253 that year. About 27% of every Fabian on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Fabian ranks #458 for baby boys with 689 births, gradually falling (-11%). All told, over 45K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Fabian
Phonetically similar names — useful when Fabian 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 Fabian
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About the name Fabian
Fabian is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 45K births in the dataset. Fabian's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #253. Use the chart and map above to compare Fabian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- 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.