Minos
In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by the Minotaur. After his death, King Minos became a judge of the dead in the underworld alongside Rhadamanthus and Aeacus.
Meaning & Origin of Minos
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by the Minotaur. After his death, King Minos became a judge of the dead in the underworld alongside Rhadamanthus and Aeacus.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Minos
Minos first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1916, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1922, when 7 Minoss were born — ranking #3,532 that year. As of 2026, Minos ranks #12,323 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 45 Minoss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Minos
Phonetically similar names — useful when Minos 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 Minos
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About the name Minos
Minos is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 45 births in the dataset. Minos's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #3,532. Use the chart and map above to compare Minos's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- 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.