Fun Facts About the Name Midas
- 291 babies named Midas: U.S. records list 291 babies given the name Midas from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Midas Mean?
Midas is a name of uncertain meaning. It is known through Greek as Μίδας and is often thought to be Phrygian in origin, from the kingdom of Phrygia in central Anatolia. The exact original form and its sense are not securely established.
A Greek etymology has been suggested, connecting the name with μῆδος (mēdos, 'counsel, plan'), but this remains uncertain. The name is popularly associated with gold because of the legend of King Midas, whose touch turned objects to gold; that is a symbolic story association, not a literal translation of the name.
Midas Name History & Origins
The name Midas belongs above all to a king of Phrygia in Greek legend. In the best-known story, Midas receives the power to turn everything he touches into gold; in another, he is given donkey's ears after judging a musical contest. These are traditional tales, and they made the name famous long after the Phrygian kingdom had passed.
A historical ruler who may stand behind the legend appears in Neo-Assyrian records from the late 8th century BC as Mita of Mushki. Many historians identify this Mita with the Phrygian king whom Greek sources call Midas. Old Phrygian inscriptions also preserve a form of the name, often read as Mida or Midai, used for a ruler. Greek writers later mention a Midas son of Gordias; Herodotus reports that this Midas dedicated a throne at Delphi. From the Greek form Μίδας came the Latin Midas and then the English name.
In English, Midas appears mainly as a literary and cultural reference to the golden-touch story, and it is only occasionally used as a personal name. Its use as a given name does not go back to a long English tradition; it comes from the classical legend and from translations of Greek and Latin texts.
How Popular is the Name Midas?
Midas 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 #2,828 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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,644 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2024 | #3,941 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2023 | #2,828 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2022 | #3,194 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2021 | #3,787 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2020 | #3,882 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2019 | #6,656 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #6,224 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #5,701 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #5,699 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #5,903 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #7,374 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #6,893 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #13,665 | 5 | 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 Midas Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Midas's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Midas's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.