Girl · #15,532 in 2026

Pelagia

Pelagia, distinguished as Pelagia of Antioch, Pelagia the Penitent, and Pelagia the Harlot, was a Christian saint and hermit in the 4th or 5th century. Her feast day was celebrated on 8 October, originally in common with Saints Pelagia the Virgin and Pelagia of Tarsus. Pelagia died as a result of extreme asceticism, which had emaciated her to the point she could no longer be recognized.

  • Ancient Greek
  • Greek
  • Polish
Current Rank
#15,532
Peak Rank
#2,833 (1916)
Total Babies
91
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1886
First Year
2019
Last Year
1916
Peak Year
#2833
Peak Rank
91
Total Count
15
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Pelagia

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

Pelagia, distinguished as Pelagia of Antioch, Pelagia the Penitent, and Pelagia the Harlot, was a Christian saint and hermit in the 4th or 5th century. Her feast day was celebrated on 8 October, originally in common with Saints Pelagia the Virgin and Pelagia of Tarsus. Pelagia died as a result of extreme asceticism, which had emaciated her to the point she could no longer be recognized.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Ancient Greek
  • Greek
  • Polish
Origin & history
The historical lives of saints have long been used as a tool of inspired conversion. Saint Pelagia of Antioch's life is often compared to the several other desert bound female aesitics, such as Mary of Egypt or Saint Thaïs . Many of these Lives have a somewhat clear origin and development, often orally passed down. Saint Pelagia however, has murky origins, her story leading to great controversy among scholars. Due to this controversy, two major theories about her origins have formed. The first theory states that the historical Saint Pelagia of Antioch as described by Saint Ambrose , which had

The Story of Pelagia

The earliest SSA record of Pelagia as a baby girl name dates back to 1886, when 6 babies received it. 1916 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Pelagia — #2,833 in the national rankings. About 34% of every Pelagia on record arrived during the 1910s, its defining decade. Pelagia last appeared in the published SSA data in 2019, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 91 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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No data

Names that sound like Pelagia

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

  • Pileggi
  • Pelea
  • Belgia
  • Pillage
  • Pillaged
  • Pillager
  • Pilage
  • Pelage
  • Palapa
  • Pilea
  • Palagi
  • Plaga

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pelagia

What does the name Pelagia mean?
Pelagia, distinguished as Pelagia of Antioch, Pelagia the Penitent, and Pelagia the Harlot, was a Christian saint and hermit in the 4th or 5th century. Her feast day was celebrated on 8 October, originally in common with Saints Pelagia the Virgin and Pelagia of Tarsus. Pelagia died as a result of extreme asceticism, which had emaciated her to the point she could no longer be recognized.
What is the origin of the name Pelagia?
Pelagia has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Ancient Greek, Greek, Polish.
How popular is Pelagia in 2026?
In 2026, Pelagia ranks #15,532 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Pelagia most popular?
Pelagia reached its peak popularity in 1916, ranking #2,833 that year with 10 babies given the name.
Is Pelagia a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Pelagia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Pelagia?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Pelagia include Offie, Belvie, Yula. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Offie
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Belvie
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Yula
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Glessie
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Flossy
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Vearl
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Rozalia
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About the name Pelagia

Pelagia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1886 and has accumulated 91 births in the dataset. Pelagia's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #2,833. Use the chart and map above to compare Pelagia'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.