Fun Facts About the Name Famous
- 193 babies named Famous: U.S. records list 193 babies given the name Famous from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Famous Mean?
Famous is an English word name taken directly from the adjective famous, meaning "well known" or "renowned." The adjective came into English from Anglo-French fameus, which derives from Latin famōsus, "famed, renowned" - a word that could also carry the sense "notorious." Latin famōsus was built on fāma, "fame, report, rumor," a noun related to the verb fārī, "to speak." Behind these forms is the older sense "spoken of" or "much talked about," which is the source of the customary meaning "celebrated, well known." As a given name, Famous simply carries the word's ordinary sense; no separate symbolic meaning is attached to it.
Famous Name History & Origins
Famous belongs to the English group of word names, in which an everyday vocabulary word is adopted as a personal name. English has a long tradition of this kind of naming - virtue names such as Faith, Hope, and Grace, along with other names taken from common nouns and adjectives. Famous uses the adjective unchanged, with the same spelling and pronunciation it has in ordinary speech.
The word itself has been in English since the Middle English period, in the form famous, borrowed from Anglo-French. The personal name, however, is a direct use of the modern adjective rather than a distinct older name with its own line of development. The name also appears as an English surname, and in current use it serves as a stage name as well as a given name - the American rapper Famous Dex is one performer who has used it. As a given name, Famous is uncommon and is found mainly in English-speaking use, particularly in the United States, where word names have been widely adopted.
How Popular is the Name Famous?
Famous 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 2022. Its best rank was #3,047 in 1943.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #11,323 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #8,453 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #6,947 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #7,251 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #8,975 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #9,142 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #9,084 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #12,668 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #12,733 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #10,056 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #9,011 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #12,876 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #7,882 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #12,951 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #11,076 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,478 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #8,098 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #9,184 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #7,767 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #4,134 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #5,744 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #4,581 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #4,608 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #4,322 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #4,129 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #4,086 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1943 | #3,047 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #4,430 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #3,891 | 6 | 0.0005% |
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.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with F
How the Name Famous Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are kind, home-loving, hospitable and friendly. Since you take responsibility well, you are a good organizer of social affairs. Compassion for others is an outstanding trait. You are a great lover and a great flirt – an artist, musician, actor, teacher, nurse. Your character can be contradictory. You are practical, yet idealistic and intuitive; capable of selfless devotion to someone you love, yet look to receive payback. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Famous's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Famous's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.