Fun Facts About the Name Epic
- 272 babies named Epic: U.S. records list 272 babies given the name Epic from 1880 through 2025. Even 48 girls received the name Epic - about 1 girl for every 5 boys.
What Does the Name Epic Mean?
Epic is an English word name, taken from the English noun and adjective epic. The word names a long narrative poem, and as an adjective it describes that kind of poetry. It came into English from Latin epicus, which was borrowed from Greek epikos, "of or belonging to an epic poem." The Greek source is epos, meaning "word," "speech," "song," or "poem." The literal sense is therefore "of an epic poem." The looser modern sense of the word - grand, impressive, larger than life - is a colloquial development of the twentieth century and is not the word's original meaning.
Epic Name History & Origins
The word behind the name goes back to Greek epos, "word" or "song," and to the adjective epikos, used for poetry in that form - the verse of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Latin writers used epicus for the same idea, and English borrowed the term in the sixteenth century, using it both as a noun for a long heroic poem and as an adjective for that kind of poetry. John Milton's Paradise Lost, published in 1667, is a well-known English example of the form.
As a personal name, Epic belongs to the modern English habit of turning ordinary words into given names rather than to an older stock of inherited names. It is not tied to a saint, a royal line, or a traditional family use; the sense that parents draw on is the word's current meaning rather than a religious or ancestral one. The similar-looking Greek name Epictetus is unrelated - it comes from a different Greek word and has its own separate meaning.
How Popular is the Name Epic?
Epic has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #4,035 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #11,503 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #15,982 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #10,523 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #12,864 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #14,899 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #15,167 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #13,608 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,088 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2024 | #6,245 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #4,035 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2022 | #5,269 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2021 | #5,616 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2020 | #4,462 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2019 | #8,399 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #5,854 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #7,749 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #5,625 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #8,996 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #7,194 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #9,038 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #8,274 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #12,840 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #7,357 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #10,372 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Epic Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Epic's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Epic's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.