Athena
Girl name · #109 in 2025 · Uniqueness 45/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Athena scores 45 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 Athena is most common
Geography matters for names, and Athena is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Athenas were CA (379), TX (294), FL (173), NY (136), IL (85). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 45/100 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.