Boy · #1,485 in 2026

Virgil

Name: Popularity of the name Virgil in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Virgil, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

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.

Current Rank

#1,485

Peak Rank

#93 (1921)

Total Babies

72K

5-Yr Trend

+25%

1888

First Year

1985

Last Year

1920

Peak Year

#968

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Virgil

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

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

The Story of Virgil

Virgil first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 81 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 1,830 Virgils were born — ranking #98 that year. As of 2026, Virgil ranks #1,485 for baby boys with 122 births, rising sharply (+25% over the past five years). In total, more than 72K Virgils have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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.

Vergil
Virgal
Vigil
Vagile
Vigile
Verging
Argile
Orgill
Argil
Vril
Verbal
Virtual

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Virgil

What does the name Virgil mean?

How popular is Virgil in 2026?

In 2026, Virgil ranks #1,485 among boys' names in the U.S., with 122 babies given the name that year.

When was Virgil most popular?

Virgil reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #93 that year with 1,830 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Virgil most popular?

Virgil has historically been most popular in Missouri, South Dakota, Kansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Virgil.

Is Virgil a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Virgil is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Virgil?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Virgil include Irving, Jerome, Brady. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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

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.