Boy · #10,921 in 2026

Negus

Name: Popularity of the name Negus in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Negus, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Negus is the word for "king" in the Ethiopian Semitic languages and a title which was usually bestowed upon a regional ruler by the Negusa Nagast, or "King of Kings," in pre-1974 Ethiopia. The negus is referred to as Al-Najashi (النجاشي) in the Islamic tradition.

Current Rank

#10,921

Peak Rank

#10,921 (2007)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1999

First Year

2007

Last Year

2007

Peak Year

#10921

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Negus

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

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

Etymology

Sometime during the development of the Ethio-Semitic language family "m-l-k," the original triconsonantal root for king, was elevated to the generic word for "god" in the form of the broken plural "ʾämlak, ʔamlāk," as well as the word for angelic or divine when conjugated as melekot. It is possible the word related to Hebrew El ( Elohim ) or Allah (Ilah) was lost due to a word taboo much like YHWH . During this time the ancient semitic term for a ruler or lord, n-g-s (from Proto-Semitic √ngɬ 'to push, press for work'), began to mean "king." Along with that term, in the early Ethiopian state of

Origin & history

Main article: Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles Negus is a noun derived from the Semitic root .mw-parser-output span.smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}.mw-parser-output span.smallcaps-smaller{font-size:85%} ngś , meaning "to reign". The title Negus literally translated to Basileus ( Greek : βασιλεύς) in Ancient Greek , which was seen many times on Aksumite currency . The title has subsequently been used to translate the word "king" or "emperor" in Biblical and other literature. In more recent times, it was used as an honorific title bestowed on governors of the most important provinces (

The Story of Negus

Negus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1999, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 6 Neguss were born — ranking #10,921 that year. As of 2026, Negus ranks #10,921 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 11 Neguss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Negus

Phonetically similar names — useful when Negus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Niggas
Megace
Niga
Nega
Nikos
Nicus
Nagas
Migues
Magus
Negress
Nigga
Nuggets

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Negus

What does the name Negus mean?

How popular is Negus in 2026?

In 2026, Negus ranks #10,921 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Negus most popular?

Negus reached its peak popularity in 2007, ranking #10,921 that year with 6 babies given the name.

Is Negus a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Negus is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Negus?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Negus include Olukayode, Ophir, Laryan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Negus

Negus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1999 and has accumulated 11 births in the dataset. Negus's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #10,921. Use the chart and map above to compare Negus'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.