Boy · #4,832 in 2026

Xerxes

Xerxes is a male name. It is the Greek version of the Old Persian name Xšaya-ṛšā, which is today known in Modern Persian as Khashayar.

Current Rank
#4,832
Peak Rank
#3,943 (2018)
Total Babies
328
5-Yr Trend
+33%
1974
First Year
2026
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#3943
Peak Rank
328
Total Count
29
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Xerxes

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

Xerxes is a male name. It is the Greek version of the Old Persian name Xšaya-ṛšā, which is today known in Modern Persian as Khashayar.

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

The Story of Xerxes

Xerxes first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1974, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 21 Xerxess were born — ranking #4,610 that year. As of 2026, Xerxes ranks #4,832 for baby boys with 21 births, rising sharply (+33% over the past five years). In total, more than 328 Xerxess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through 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
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Xerxes

Phonetically similar names — useful when Xerxes is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Xxy
  • Succes
  • Axes
  • Sixes
  • Sexes
  • Turkeys
  • Taxis
  • Surcease
  • Circuses
  • Soxs
  • Saxes
  • Taxies

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Xerxes

What does the name Xerxes mean?
Xerxes is a male name. It is the Greek version of the Old Persian name Xšaya-ṛšā, which is today known in Modern Persian as Khashayar.
How popular is Xerxes in 2026?
In 2026, Xerxes ranks #4,832 among boys' names in the U.S., with 21 babies given the name that year.
When was Xerxes most popular?
Xerxes reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #3,943 that year with 21 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Xerxes most popular?
Xerxes has historically been most popular in Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Xerxes.
Is Xerxes a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Xerxes is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Xerxes?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Xerxes include Regniald, Demetres, Deana. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Xerxes

Xerxes is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1974 and has accumulated 328 births in the dataset. Xerxes's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #3,943. Use the chart and map above to compare Xerxes'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.