Fun Facts About the Name Virtue
- 51 babies named Virtue: U.S. records list 51 babies given the name Virtue from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Virtue Mean?
Virtue is an English word name meaning "moral excellence" or "goodness." It comes from the English noun virtue, which was borrowed from Old French vertu, vertue, and ultimately from Latin virtūs (genitive virtūtis), meaning "manliness, strength, worth, moral excellence." The Latin noun derives from vir "man," plus a suffix that forms an abstract noun; its earliest sense was tied to qualities such as courage and manly strength. In English, the word's meaning shifted toward general moral goodness and, in some contexts, chastity. As a personal name, Virtue is a virtue name: a word chosen for the abstract quality it names rather than inherited from an older given name.
Virtue Name History & Origins
Virtue began as a common noun, not as a personal name. During the 16th and 17th centuries, English Protestants, especially Puritans, gave children abstract nouns as names to express religious and moral ideals. This tradition includes names such as Faith, Hope, Charity, Prudence, Patience, Temperance, and Chastity. Virtue belongs to that group. It has been used in England and later in other English-speaking countries, most often for girls.
Virtue is also found as an English surname. The name's history is tied to the English word and the broader fashion for virtue names, rather than to an older personal name from Latin or Germanic tradition.
How Popular is the Name Virtue?
Virtue 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 2015. Its best rank was #4,390 in 1916.
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 | #14,822 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #17,480 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #15,050 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #17,362 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #15,567 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #14,396 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #19,435 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #18,315 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1916 | #4,390 | 6 | 0.0006% |
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 Virtue Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fixed in your opinions, firm in your friendships and square in your dealings with others. You are an excellent worker. Since you are both possessive and emotional, you can be either very practical or very impractical and unpredictable. Your dual nature needs to become steadfast. You are the marrying kind. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Virtue's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Virtue's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.