ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1915 First Year 1950 Last Year 1947 Peak Year #2862 Peak Rank 48 Total Count 8 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Minus What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. The plus sign and the minus sign are mathematical symbols used to denote positive and negative functions, respectively. In addition, the symbol + represents the operation of addition, which results in a sum, while the symbol − represents subtraction, resulting in a difference. Their use has been extended to many other meanings, more or less analogous. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plus%5Fand%5Fminus%5Fsigns) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plus%5Fand%5Fminus%5Fsigns) 🏛️Origin & history Though the signs now seem as familiar as the alphabet or the Arabic numerals , they are not of great antiquity. The Egyptian hieroglyphic sign for addition, for example, resembles a pair of legs walking in the direction in which the text was written ( Egyptian could be written either from right to left or left to right), with the reverse sign indicating subtraction: or Nicole Oresme 's manuscripts from the 14th century show what may be one of the earliest uses of + as a sign for plus. In early 15th century Europe, the letters "P" and "M" were generally used. The symbols (P with overline, p̄ , 📖 ## The Story of Minus The earliest SSA record of Minus as a baby boy name dates back to 1915, when 5 babies received it. 1947 was its biggest year on record, with 8 newborns named Minus — #2,862 in the national rankings. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 48% of all recorded Minuss. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1950 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 48 Minuss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s 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 Minus Phonetically similar names — useful when Minus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Menace * [Minas](/minas) * Monas * Mimus * Monus * Mannose * Mynas * Munus * Ninus * [Manus](/manus) * Manis * Mannis Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Minus What does the name Minus mean? The plus sign and the minus sign are mathematical symbols used to denote positive and negative functions, respectively. In addition, the symbol + represents the operation of addition, which results in a sum, while the symbol − represents subtraction, resulting in a difference. Their use has been extended to many other meanings, more or less analogous. How popular is Minus in 2026? In 2026, Minus ranks #3,681 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year. When was Minus most popular? Minus reached its peak popularity in 1947, ranking #2,862 that year with 8 babies given the name. Is Minus a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Minus is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Minus? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Minus include Nina, Policarpio, Crandall. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names [👦NinaPeak #2862](/nina)[👦PolicarpioPeak #2862](/policarpio)[👦CrandallPeak #2862](/crandall)[👦DenisonPeak #2862](/denison)[👦MilusPeak #2862](/milus)[👦BarnabasPeak #2862](/barnabas)[👦LeroiPeak #2862](/leroi)[👦LindlePeak #2862](/lindle) ## About the name Minus Minus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 48 births in the dataset. Minus's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #2,862\. Use the chart and map above to compare Minus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1947 → ](/year/1947) * [ Names of the 1940s → ](/decade/1940s) * [ Names starting with "M" → ](/letter/m) * [ 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.