Athena
Girl name · #109 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Athena? In official American birth records, Athena has been tracked continuously since 1902, giving it 123 years of documented American history.
Athena ranks #109 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 2,477 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #157, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 727 girls born in 2025 was named Athena.
Babies named Athena per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 123-year story
Athena first appears in the Social Security records in 1902, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 3,029 babies and a rank of #78. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Athena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Athena in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Athena is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Athena is most common
Geography matters for names, and Athena is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Athena is most common in AK (10 per 1,000), NM (4.9 per 1,000), DE (4.4 per 1,000), NV (3.3 per 1,000), AZ (2.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.9 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Athena is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Athena
Statistically, parents drawn to Athena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ximena, Alina, Elena, Elliana, and Amara.
XimenaAlinaElenaEllianaAmaraCatalinaAmiraSienna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Athena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,477 | #109 |
| 2024 | 2,794 | #90 |
| 2023 | 3,001 | #76 |
| 2022 | 3,029 | #78 |
| 2021 | 2,717 | #98 |
| 2020 | 2,518 | #107 |
| 2019 | 2,726 | #104 |
| 2018 | 2,605 | #117 |
| 2017 | 2,381 | #127 |
| 2016 | 2,178 | #142 |
| 2015 | 2,054 | #157 |
| 2014 | 1,692 | #195 |
| 2013 | 1,462 | #220 |
| 2012 | 1,310 | #246 |
| 2011 | 1,013 | #312 |
| 2010 | 882 | #363 |
| 2009 | 742 | #429 |
| 2008 | 693 | #456 |
| 2007 | 732 | #439 |
| 2006 | 608 | #501 |
| 2005 | 659 | #461 |
| 2004 | 599 | #489 |
| 2003 | 538 | #524 |
| 2002 | 549 | #503 |
| 2001 | 551 | #499 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Athena?
In official American birth records, the name Athena first appeared in 1902 (over 123 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 123 years.
Is Athena a popular girl name?
Athena ranked #109 among girls in 2025 with 2,477 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #157.
When was the name Athena most popular?
Athena peaked in 2022, when 3,029 American girls received the name (ranked #78 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Athena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 727 newborn American girls was named Athena. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.