Onyx
Boy name · #365 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Onyx? In official American birth records, Onyx has been tracked continuously since 1990, giving it 35 years of documented American history.
Onyx ranks #365 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 881 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1416, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,043 boys born in 2025 was named Onyx.
Babies named Onyx per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 35-year story
Onyx first appears in the Social Security records in 1990, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 1,079 babies and a rank of #307. 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 Onyx against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Onyx in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Onyx is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Onyx is most common
Geography matters for names, and Onyx is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Onyx is most common in NV (1.4 per 1,000), SC (1.1 per 1,000), OR (1.1 per 1,000), OH (1 per 1,000), GA (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Onyx is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Onyx
Statistically, parents drawn to Onyx tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ozzy, Otto, Kylo, Koda, and Rome.
OzzyOttoKyloKodaRomeLennoxWellsLian
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Onyx | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 881 | #365 |
| 2024 | 931 | #358 |
| 2023 | 1,079 | #307 |
| 2022 | 937 | #352 |
| 2021 | 768 | #404 |
| 2020 | 447 | #612 |
| 2019 | 323 | #744 |
| 2018 | 257 | #857 |
| 2017 | 188 | #1059 |
| 2016 | 175 | #1116 |
| 2015 | 121 | #1416 |
| 2014 | 92 | #1670 |
| 2013 | 78 | #1827 |
| 2012 | 81 | #1818 |
| 2011 | 57 | #2261 |
| 2010 | 59 | #2212 |
| 2009 | 60 | #2203 |
| 2008 | 41 | #2879 |
| 2007 | 31 | #3444 |
| 2006 | 29 | #3524 |
| 2005 | 20 | #4326 |
| 2004 | 26 | #3534 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4616 |
| 2002 | 20 | #4044 |
| 2001 | 15 | #4890 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Onyx?
In official American birth records, the name Onyx first appeared in 1990 (over 35 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 35 years.
Is Onyx a popular boy name?
Onyx ranked #365 among boys in 2025 with 881 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1416.
When was the name Onyx most popular?
Onyx peaked in 2023, when 1,079 American boys received the name (ranked #307 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Onyx?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,043 newborn American boys was named Onyx. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.