Polaris
Polaris is a yellow supergiant star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris and is commonly called the North Star. With an apparent magnitude that fluctuates around 1.98, it is the brightest star in the constellation and is readily visible to the naked eye at night.
Meaning & Origin of Polaris
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Polaris is a yellow supergiant star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris and is commonly called the North Star. With an apparent magnitude that fluctuates around 1.98, it is the brightest star in the constellation and is readily visible to the naked eye at night.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Polaris
Polaris first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2010, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 9 Polariss were born — ranking #10,287 that year. As of 2026, Polaris ranks #12,120 for baby girls with 7 births, gradually falling (-5%). In total, more than 44 Polariss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Polaris
Phonetically similar names — useful when Polaris is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Polarise
- Polarised
- Pylorus
- Belarus
- Boleros
- Solarise
- Piliferous
- Polis
- Polarity
- Polarize
- Poultice
- Solaris
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Polaris
What does the name Polaris mean?
How popular is Polaris in 2026?
When was Polaris most popular?
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What names go well with Polaris?
About the name Polaris
Polaris is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2010 and has accumulated 44 births in the dataset. Polaris's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #10,287. Use the chart and map above to compare Polaris's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.