Athena
The Greek goddess of wisdom; the name itself is pre-Greek and its literal meaning is unknown.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Athena first shows up in the national records in 1902. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 2021 to 2024. Its biggest year was 2022, when 3,029 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 78 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2023, at No. 76. In 2025 it ranked No. 109 for girls. All told, 53,118 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Athina (902) (total births since 1880)
Explore Athena interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 17 | No. 1727 |
| 1910s | 183 | No. 1103 |
| 1920s | 416 | No. 1030 |
| 1930s | 245 | No. 1072 |
| 1940s | 203 | No. 1649 |
| 1950s | 786 | No. 712 |
| 1960s | 1,517 | No. 743 |
| 1970s | 2,588 | No. 457 |
| 1980s | 2,964 | No. 541 |
| 1990s | 3,191 | No. 517 |
| 2000s | 6,169 | No. 429 |
| 2010s | 18,303 | No. 104 |
| 2020s | 16,536 | No. 76 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.