ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1982

First Year

2020

Last Year

1982

Peak Year

#4234

Peak Rank

50

Total Count

8

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Onesimus

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

Onesimus was a Christian mentioned in the New Testament. He was a slave to Philemon, a Christian, and is the subject of Paul's Epistle to Philemon.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onesimus) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onesimus)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* Biblical
* Biblical Latin

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Onesimus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Onesimus_and_Philemon.jpg/330px-Onesimus_and_Philemon.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onesimus)

📖

## The Story of Onesimus

American parents first put Onesimus on the record books as a baby boy name in 1982, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 9 Onesimuss were born — ranking #4,234 that year. About 36% of every Onesimus on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Onesimus last appeared in the published SSA data in 2020, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 50 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to 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 Onesimus

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

* Winsomeness
* Oneness
* Vincennes
* Consenus
* Mumpsimus
* [Winsome](/winsome)
* Windiness
* Winsomely
* Winema
* Handsomeness
* Handsomest
* Venomous

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Onesimus

What does the name Onesimus mean?

Onesimus was a Christian mentioned in the New Testament. He was a slave to Philemon, a Christian, and is the subject of Paul's Epistle to Philemon.

What is the origin of the name Onesimus?

Onesimus has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Biblical, Biblical Latin.

How popular is Onesimus in 2026?

In 2026, Onesimus ranks #9,549 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.

When was Onesimus most popular?

Onesimus reached its peak popularity in 1982, ranking #4,234 that year with 9 babies given the name.

Is Onesimus a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Onesimus?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Onesimus include Lopez, Allin, Terreance. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👦LopezPeak #4234](/lopez)[👦AllinPeak #4234](/allin)[👦TerreancePeak #4234](/terreance)[👦GoeffreyPeak #4234](/goeffrey)[👦DarlyPeak #4234](/darly)[👦McihaelPeak #4234](/mcihael)[👦MansourPeak #4234](/mansour)[👦RanardPeak #4234](/ranard)

## About the name Onesimus 

Onesimus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1982 and has accumulated 50 births in the dataset. Onesimus's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #4,234\. Use the chart and map above to compare Onesimus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1982 → ](/year/1982)
* [ Names of the 1980s → ](/decade/1980s)
* [ Names starting with "O" → ](/letter/o)
* [ 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.