How Many People Are Named Achilles?

An estimated 3,516 people in the United States have the first name Achilles. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 12 years old, and Achilles peaked in popularity in 2018 with 257 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Achilles as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Achilles paired with any surname.

Key Insights

  • Achilles is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 12, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.

Estimated Living Americans

3,516

About 1 in 97,484 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Male

100.0% confidence

Average Age

12

years old

Peak Year

2018

257 births

Total Registered

3,691

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Achilles

Achilles is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 3,691 total births registered, 100.0% were male.

Male 3,691 (100.0%)
Female 0 (0.0%)

Achilles as a male name

Ranked #1,221 in 2024

164 male births in 2024

Peak: 2018 (257 births)

Achilles in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 2,379 people with the first name Achilles, which placed it at #6,678 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Achilles was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 2,379 people with this name in that snapshot, 99.5% were male and 0.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 100.0% of the time.

Census Count

2,379

people with this name

Census Rank

#6,678

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.79

per 100,000 people

Male 2,366 (99.5%)
Female 13 (0.5%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Achilles was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (33.78%). The next largest recorded groups were White (31.84%) and Black (15.08%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Achilles in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
31.84%
Black
15.08%
Hispanic
33.78%
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.89%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.81%
Two or More Races
8.59%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Achilles.

Group Share Count
Hispanic 33.78% 802
White 31.84% 756
Black 15.08% 358
Asian and Pacific Islander 8.89% 211
Two or More Races 8.59% 204
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.81% 43

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Achilles: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Achilles span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 1,834 babies were registered. While Achilles is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.

0 51 103 154 206 257 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Achilles by Decade

How has Achilles tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1910s 43 43 0
1920s 78 78 0
1930s 23 23 0
1940s 5 5 0
1950s 5 5 0
1960s 5 5 0
1970s 29 29 0
1980s 29 29 0
1990s 43 43 0
2000s 696 696 0
2010s 1,834 1,834 0
2020s 901 901 0

Achilles by State

Birth registrations for Achilles span all 30 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in Wisconsin, Utah, Massachusetts. On average, about 75 Achilless were registered per state.

Achilles + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Achilles as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Achilles: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Achilles?

We estimate approximately 3,516 people named Achilles are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 97,484 Americans share this first name.

Is Achilles a common name?

Achilles is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 95.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,691 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Achilles most popular?

Achilles reached peak popularity in 2018, when 257 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Achilles is approximately 12 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Achilles in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 2,379 people with the first name Achilles. That placed it at #6,678 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.79 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Achilles was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Achilles?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Achilles was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 99.5% male and 0.5% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Achilles?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Achilles was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (33.78%). The next largest recorded groups were White (31.84%) and Black (15.08%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Achilles a male name?

Achilles is predominantly male. 100.0% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Achilles have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Achilles peaked in 2018, and the average living bearer is about 12 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Achilles Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Achilles Smith, Achilles Johnson, Achilles Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination