Boy · #1,871 in 2026

Pharaoh

The Pharaoh was the monarch of ancient Egypt. The title came into use from the Eighteenth Dynasty onwards and was subsequently attributed to all the previous kings of Egypt. Before this Pharaoh was a term that meant more of the kings' administration.

Current Rank
#1,871
Peak Rank
#1,023 (2019)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
-33%
2018
First Year
2018
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#15678
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Pharaoh

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

The Pharaoh was the monarch of ancient Egypt. The title came into use from the Eighteenth Dynasty onwards and was subsequently attributed to all the previous kings of Egypt. Before this Pharaoh was a term that meant more of the kings' administration.

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

Etymology
The word pharaoh ultimately derives from the Egyptian compound pr ꜥꜣ , * /ˌpaɾuwˈʕaʀ/ "great house", written with the two biliteral hieroglyphs pr "house" and ꜥꜣ "column", here meaning "great" or "high". It was the title of the royal palace and was used only in larger phrases such as smr pr-ꜥꜣ "Courtier of the High House", with specific reference to the buildings of the court or palace. From the Twelfth Dynasty onward, the word appears in a wish formula "Great House, May it Live, Prosper, and be in Health ", but again only with reference to the royal palace and not a person. The Mask of Tutank

The Story of Pharaoh

Pharaoh first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1979, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 203 Pharaohs were born — ranking #1,023 that year. As of 2026, Pharaoh ranks #1,871 for baby boys with 87 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 2K Pharaohs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Pharaoh

Phonetically similar names — useful when Pharaoh 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 Pharaoh

What does the name Pharaoh mean?
The Pharaoh was the monarch of ancient Egypt. The title came into use from the Eighteenth Dynasty onwards and was subsequently attributed to all the previous kings of Egypt. Before this Pharaoh was a term that meant more of the kings' administration.
How popular is Pharaoh in 2026?
In 2026, Pharaoh ranks #1,871 among boys' names in the U.S., with 87 babies given the name that year.
When was Pharaoh most popular?
Pharaoh reached its peak popularity in 2019, ranking #1,023 that year with 203 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Pharaoh most popular?
Pharaoh has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Nevada, Connecticut. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Pharaoh.
Is Pharaoh a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Pharaoh is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Pharaoh?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Pharaoh include Renard, Keir, Kolt. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Pharaoh's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #1,023. Use the chart and map above to compare Pharaoh'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.