Persephone
Girl name · #735 in 2025 · Uniqueness 55/100
Persephone ranks #735 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 372 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1329, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,839 girls born in 2025 was named Persephone.
Babies named Persephone per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 63-year story
Persephone first appears in the Social Security records in 1962, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 429 babies and a rank of #681. 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 Persephone against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Persephone in class?
Persephone scores 55 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Persephone is most common
Geography matters for names, and Persephone is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Persephones were TX (35), CA (33), NY (24), FL (19), WA (17). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Persephone
Statistically, parents drawn to Persephone tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Clementine, Hermione, Promise, Guinevere, and Coraline.
ClementineHermionePromiseGuinevereCoralineEmmelineMarcelineViolette
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Persephone | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 372 | #734 |
| 2024 | 383 | #735 |
| 2023 | 377 | #745 |
| 2022 | 429 | #681 |
| 2021 | 367 | #775 |
| 2020 | 333 | #818 |
| 2019 | 287 | #922 |
| 2018 | 236 | #1075 |
| 2017 | 226 | #1114 |
| 2016 | 196 | #1241 |
| 2015 | 178 | #1329 |
| 2014 | 203 | #1198 |
| 2013 | 171 | #1362 |
| 2012 | 143 | #1539 |
| 2011 | 136 | #1592 |
| 2010 | 111 | #1830 |
| 2009 | 87 | #2244 |
| 2008 | 59 | #2957 |
| 2007 | 64 | #2822 |
| 2006 | 59 | #2916 |
| 2005 | 47 | #3257 |
| 2004 | 43 | #3444 |
| 2003 | 45 | #3232 |
| 2002 | 19 | #5897 |
| 2001 | 22 | #5174 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Persephone a popular girl name?
Persephone ranked #735 among girls in 2025 with 372 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1329.
When was the name Persephone most popular?
Persephone peaked in 2022, when 429 American girls received the name (ranked #681 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Persephone?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,839 newborn American girls was named Persephone. It scores 55/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.