Boy · #2,426 in 2026

Sirius

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, located in the southern constellation of Canis Major. Its name is derived from the Greek word Σείριος. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated α CMa or Alpha CMa. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, Sirius is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star.

  • Astronomy
Current Rank
#2,426
Peak Rank
#2,321 (2022)
Total Babies
803
5-Yr Trend
+29%
2016
First Year
2016
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#16210
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Sirius

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

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, located in the southern constellation of Canis Major. Its name is derived from the Greek word Σείριος. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated α CMa or Alpha CMa. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, Sirius is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Astronomy
Etymology
The proper name "Sirius" comes from the Latin Sīrius , from the Ancient Greek Σείριος ( Seirios , "glowing" or "scorcher"). The Greek word itself may have been imported from elsewhere before the Archaic period , one authority suggesting a link with the Egyptian god Osiris . The name's earliest recorded use dates from the 7th century BC in Hesiod 's poetic work Works and Days . In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two bat

The Story of Sirius

American parents first put Sirius on the record books as a baby boy name in 1999, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 61 Siriuss were born — ranking #2,321 that year. About 45% of every Sirius on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Sirius ranks #2,426 for baby boys with 58 births, rising sharply (+29% over the past five years). All told, over 803 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s 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 Sirius

Phonetically similar names — useful when Sirius 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 Sirius

What does the name Sirius mean?
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, located in the southern constellation of Canis Major. Its name is derived from the Greek word Σείριος. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated α CMa or Alpha CMa. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, Sirius is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star.
What is the origin of the name Sirius?
Sirius has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Astronomy.
How popular is Sirius in 2026?
In 2026, Sirius ranks #2,426 among boys' names in the U.S., with 58 babies given the name that year.
When was Sirius most popular?
Sirius reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #2,321 that year with 61 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Sirius most popular?
Sirius has historically been most popular in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Sirius.
Is Sirius a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Sirius is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Sirius?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Sirius include Yitzchak, Bleu, Tuff. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Sirius

Sirius is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1999 and has accumulated 803 births in the dataset. Sirius's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #2,321. Use the chart and map above to compare Sirius'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.