Virgil
Virgil is the most common modern English name used for the Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro. It functions as a given name or surname made popular by the fame of Virgil. The variant form of this name is Vergil.
- English
- Romanian
Meaning & Origin of Virgil
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Virgil is the most common modern English name used for the Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro. It functions as a given name or surname made popular by the fame of Virgil. The variant form of this name is Vergil.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Romanian
The Story of Virgil
The earliest SSA record of Virgil as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 81 babies received it. 1921 was its biggest year on record, with 1,830 newborns named Virgil — #98 in the national rankings. About 22% of every Virgil on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Virgil ranks #1,485 for baby boys with 122 births, rising sharply (+25% over the past five years). All told, over 72K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Virgil
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Virgil. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Virgiliu
Names that sound like Virgil
Phonetically similar names — useful when Virgil 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 Virgil
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About the name Virgil
Virgil is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 72K births in the dataset. Virgil's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #93. Use the chart and map above to compare Virgil's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "V" →
- Browse all boy 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.