Boy · #3,724 in 2026

Mandrill

The mandrill is a large Old World monkey native to west central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males have a larger body, longer canine teeth and brighter coloring. Its closest living relative is the drill, with which it shares the genus Mandrillus.

Current Rank
#3,724
Peak Rank
#3,724 (1976)
Total Babies
29
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1973
First Year
1976
Last Year
1976
Peak Year
#3724
Peak Rank
29
Total Count
4
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Mandrill

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

The mandrill is a large Old World monkey native to west central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males have a larger body, longer canine teeth and brighter coloring. Its closest living relative is the drill, with which it shares the genus Mandrillus.

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

Etymology
The word mandrill is derived from the English words man and drill —the latter meaning ' baboon ' or ' ape ' and being West African in origin—and dated to 1744. The name appears to have originally referred to chimpanzees . The first scholar to record the name for the colorful monkey was Georges-Louis Buffon in 1766. It was called the "tufted ape", "great baboon" and "ribbernosed baboon" by Thomas Pennant in A Synopsis of Quadrupeds (1771) and A History of Quadrupeds (1781).

The Story of Mandrill

Mandrill first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1973, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1976, when 9 Mandrills were born — ranking #3,724 that year. As of 2026, Mandrill ranks #3,724 for baby boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 29 Mandrills have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s 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 Mandrill

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mandrill 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 Mandrill

What does the name Mandrill mean?
The mandrill is a large Old World monkey native to west central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males have a larger body, longer canine teeth and brighter coloring. Its closest living relative is the drill, with which it shares the genus Mandrillus.
How popular is Mandrill in 2026?
In 2026, Mandrill ranks #3,724 among boys' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year.
When was Mandrill most popular?
Mandrill reached its peak popularity in 1976, ranking #3,724 that year with 9 babies given the name.
Is Mandrill a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Mandrill is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Mandrill?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mandrill include Fabain, Derone, Tshombe. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Mandrill

Mandrill is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1973 and has accumulated 29 births in the dataset. Mandrill's peak popularity came in 1976 when it ranked #3,724. Use the chart and map above to compare Mandrill'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.