ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1883 First Year 2023 Last Year 1916 Peak Year #1849 Peak Rank 371 Total Count 49 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Festus What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Festus is a name with multiple cultural origins: Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical, English. Origin data from [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/). ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * Ancient Roman * Biblical Latin * Biblical * English 📖 ## The Story of Festus American parents first put Festus on the record books as a baby boy name in 1883, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 16 Festuss were born — ranking #1,849 that year. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 27% of all recorded Festuss. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 371 Festuss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through 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 FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Festus Phonetically similar names — useful when Festus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Faustus * Festa * Fests * Fists * Fetis * Phasis * Phocis * Fusta * Fetus * Fastest * Feasts * Foetus Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Festus What does the name Festus mean? Festus is a name with multiple cultural origins: Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical, English. What is the origin of the name Festus? Festus has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical, English. How popular is Festus in 2026? In 2026, Festus ranks #12,230 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year. When was Festus most popular? Festus reached its peak popularity in 1916, ranking #1,849 that year with 16 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Festus most popular? Festus has historically been most popular in North Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Festus. Is Festus a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Festus is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Festus? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Festus include Handy, Sollie, Holger. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names [👦HandyPeak #1849](/handy)[👦SolliePeak #1849](/sollie)[👦HolgerPeak #1849](/holger)[👦PerfectoPeak #1849](/perfecto)[👦LundyPeak #1849](/lundy)[👦PurnellPeak #1849](/purnell)[👦RaylonPeak #1849](/raylon)[👦DontezPeak #1849](/dontez) ## About the name Festus Festus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1883 and has accumulated 371 births in the dataset. Festus's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #1,849\. Use the chart and map above to compare Festus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1916 → ](/year/1916) * [ Names of the 1910s → ](/decade/1910s) * [ Names starting with "F" → ](/letter/f) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.